


Elemental

by auroraXborealis



Category: Yu-Gi-Oh! - All Media Types, Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel Monsters (Anime & Manga)
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - High School, Alternate Universe - Roommates/Housemates, Alternate Universe - Soulmates, Alternate Universe - Vigilantes, Angst and Fluff and Smut, Blindshipping, Boys In Love, Canon Compliant, M/M, Post-Canon, Puzzle June 2020, Puzzleshipping, Slice of Life, coffee lovers
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-06-06
Updated: 2020-07-23
Packaged: 2021-03-04 00:15:50
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 28
Words: 42,858
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24564472
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/auroraXborealis/pseuds/auroraXborealis
Summary: Collection of short and not-so-short stories for the Puzzle June 2020 challenge, ranging from AU to Canon-compliant, some of them relate to each other. Ratings for G to E in some. Read the notes in the beginning for information.
Relationships: Atem/Mutou Yuugi, Mutou Yuugi/Yami Yuugi, Mutou Yuugi/Yami Yuugi | Atem
Comments: 357
Kudos: 137
Collections: PuzzleJune 2020





	1. Doors

**Author's Note:**

> So this is my first time dabbling in Puzzleshipping, and posting on AO3. Challenging myself here with these prompts and trying to publish them as quick as I can. These have not been beta-read, still looking for a beta-reader if anyone is interested! Hope you enjoy :) Please feel free to leave comments, I'l try to reply to!

There it was, carefully wrapped around his little finger, like a fragile but very real reminder.

That pulsing, warm and ever-present red string.

It had always been there, but he only started noticing it on his fourteenth birthday, like everyone else. Yugi knew that he would not see anyone else’s red string until he met his soulmate.

Most of the time, he simply glanced at it when he felt it tug. Recently, he had felt the tug more insistent then before, always around the same time of day, like if it was calling out to him. It had started about a month ago, always as he was boarding the train at his usual station after work. At first, he had thought nothing of it, mostly blaming it on the tiredness that caught up with him towards the end of the day. But soon, he had started stealing glances around, looking for the string, trying to find who the other end belonged to.

Then the tug had stopped for a couple of days, and Yugi thought that maybe he had imagined the change of it all along. He went back to his routine, almost disappointed that he had somehow felt so close to finding his soulmate, and then losing them. He went back to simply finding comfort in the ever presence of the string wrapped around his finger, pulsing with warmth regularly once more.

Until one day, he had woken up to the feeling almost burning his finger, as if it was trying to send him a message, All day, he had played idly with it, threading it along his fingers, relinquishing in the heat it brought to his fingertips. When he left for work, he felt the tug once more, even more insistent then he thought he had imagined it. He followed the feeling to the train station once more, and only there did the tug stop pulling at his finger so strongly. He hesitated a good while, watching as a few trains passed, before eventually boarding it, disappointed once again. He settled in the back of the car, rubbing at his string unconsciously.

Suddenly, the tug was so strong it almost hurt. Yugi turned around sharply to see the red string running around people. He followed it with his eyes until he saw it connected to another finger belonging to someone standing in the back of the crowd, but he could see him so clearly like if he was the only person in the world right now. He stood out from the crowd with his mane of black and scarlet hair, blonde bangs framing his almond colored face. As if on cue, both their gazes met and he thought for sure that he could drown in the crimson colored irises staring back at him.

Yugi lifted his left pinky exactly at the same instant as the stranger and realization hit the other probably as hard as it had hit him a moment before. He tried to push his way out of the train car, but people kept bumping into him. Cursing his small frame, he tried to keep his eyes on the other boy, also trying to make his way to him through the crowd. He felt his breath catching in his throat and his heart filling with dread as he heard the familiar ding announcing the closing of the doors, right before he had the time to reach the exit. He barely managed to touch the window that the other’s hand connected with his through faintly tainted glass, both of their pinkies wrapped with a thin red string, connecting them.

Their eyes met yet again, both filled with the desperation of a man grasping for his last breath. The train car jolted to life and pulled away from the station. The man of the other side of the door was talking, hoping Yugi could hear him, but he couldn’t.

However, he managed to understand his message, reading the carefully repeated words on his lips.

_I’ll find you._


	2. Ambition

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It took me a while to find inspiration for that one, hope you like it!  
> I call Atem by the name Yami, because he has yet to discover his name.  
> Enjoy!

There were times when Yami wondered if Yugi had enough ambition.

Not that Yugi did not do things with all his passion and might, no.

But as his other watched from the shadowy corners of his mind, he pondered over the fact that his host rarely did things for himself.

He was thriving to retrieve Yami’s memories, dueling his way against fierce oppononents, putting himself in very dangerous situations just for the sake of helping out a lost soul that had taken residence inside his own mind, sharing his body.

He was always cheering on his friends, putting them first, even if it meant endangering himself in the process, like when Jounouchi had been controlled by Marik back in the Battle City preliminaries.

One time, Yami had been so proud of Yugi for finally asking Anzu out. He had gotten all dressed up, had schedule a perfect meeting spot… and then he had forcefully switched with him, because he had all arranged this day as a way to make his other feel better, noteven for him to enjoy himself.

Now, as both were sitting on the floor of Yugi’s soul room, he was looking at his host with curiosity.

“Partner, do you not sometimes wish you were a bit more… I don’t know… selfish?”

Violet eyes stared back at him. “What exactly do you mean?”

Yami put down the dice he was holding and stretch his back. “You do all these marvelous things for other people, but you rarely take the same time or energy to actually do anything exclusively for you. Isn’t there anything you want for yourself?”

Yugi seemed to be at a loss of words, and then turned his face away. The other noticed a light blush on his cheeks and his curiosity grew, but he was hit with rebuttal even before he had a second to pursue the issue. “Let’s call it a night, shall we, other me?” And without any other word, Yugi vanished from his own soul room, leaving the spirit to wonder if maybe he should have never ask his question.

Several days later, both boys were back, but this time in the pharaoh’s soul room, roaming through the corridors, exploring the various paths in the other’s intricate mind maze. Yami had not been sure about how to start the conversation, and had waited for Yugi to make the first move. They had not mentioned their last encounter so far, but he had wanted so badly to apologise for pushing the boundaries of their friendship. The shorter boy had stopped walking and turned around to face him. He had crossed the few steps between them and reached for his hands, holding them as if he could find courage in them.

“Other me, it’s okay. There is something that I would like to do for myself, which I have been thinking about for quite some time now. It’s just… it’s a bit complicated.”

Yami twisted his hands to place them on the other’s shoulders instead, offering support with his gesture.

“Partner, just let me help you for once.”

Yugi looked at his empty hands for a long moment and sighed. He then gazed up at him and there was a resolute look in his eyes. He grabbed the front of his jacket and pulled him down to him, locking lips with him in a firm, but tender kiss. It only lasted a few seconds and then he pulled away slowly.

As the pharaoh dived back down for a second dose of those lips, embracing his partner closer with both arms around his waist, he decided that Yugi had just the right amount of ambition.


	3. Warmth

He was standing both feet deep in the sand, hands in his pockets, eyes lost, unfocused. His mind was elsewhere, as it had been for quite some time.

The last months had been very straining. He would often wake up, sweating, nightmares all too real plaguing his nights. They were not quite nightmares, more like very unpleasant memories, repeating over and over again, making sure he could not forget what he now referred to as the worst day of his life.

He could see him, his back turned to him, retreating into the Afterlife. Yugi knew it had been the right thing, Atem deserved some peace after everything that had happened to him, but the tears he had spilled that day had yet to dry out completely. When the doors had closed behind the pharaoh, Yugi had felt a part of his very own soul crumbling into a multitude of pieces, just like the Millenium Puzzle.

His friends had tried to understand, but he had kept them away from his pain. He needed to live it, to feel it, because feeling it meant that something had been real, that he had once lived all these memories. He did not want to forget any of them, even if it caused him misery.

He did not know how he had ended up on the beach, shoes discarded somewhere close. He had been awake at the crack of dawn, unable to stay in his bed anymore. His feet had lead him here and he had watched as the sun slowly rose up across the horizon.

At that moment, he had felt the urge to praise, rising strongly inside him. The words had flown right out of his mouth, clumsily at first and more assured as he repeated them. He had heard Atem chant this ancient prayer a few times, always in awe, as his other self would offer his words to the sun itself.

Then he felt it, hands of warm sunlight on his cheeks, like soothing the tears that had been spilled so often over the last months. Yugi’s heart skipped a beat as he also sensed the soft touch of lips, ghosting a kiss on his forehead, where the morning sun caressed his skin.

_Partner…_

Yugi’s hands went to those he felt on his cheeks, but the feeling did not last long. He felt them retreating with the rising sun, leaving behind them a warmth that spread throughout his entire being. The feeling was so strong that he had trouble breathing at first, but when he calmed his troubled heart, he noticed that it had somehow helped the weight off it.

That warmth stayed with him for hours after, as he sat in the sand, soaking in the sun.

And for the first time in months, Yugi sensed that, even if it would take time to heal, he could slowly but surely start to pick up his pieces.


	4. Ritual

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Short and sweet, enjoy!

Atem is a morning person.

He usually wakes up early enough, because he finds it is the perfect time for his morning run. The streets around campus are empty, the world is still asleep and he can be alone with his music and his thoughts.

He dresses up in his running get-up and grabs his shoes before walking to his door. His roommate is still snoring as he finishes lacing up. He exists the building and does a few stretches before starting his playlist and then gets into an easy jog at first and picks up the pace as the music also picks up.

He takes deep breaths of the fresh morning air, his feet hitting the concrete at a now steady rhythm. Eventually he circles back home, spent but happy. When he comes in, his friend is already up and probably in the shower. He takes the time to peel off his sweaty clothes before changing into sweats and preparing breakfast.

His phone beeps on the counter and he checks his notification. He groans as his friend comes back into the room, skin glistening from his shower. “What’s wrong?” he asks.

Atem shows him the phone and whines. “They’re changing my schedule to some night classes, meaning no more early runs…”

His roommate looks up and shrugs. “Then why don’t you start running during the evenings?”

The change happens slowly at first. He switches his morning ritual to an evening one, actually liking the feeling of running right after his latest classes. It feels different, but a good different; the dark sky offers another kind of comfort, the streets around campus are also pretty empty where he jogs except for a few other joggers.

That’s how he notices him. He doesn’t quite see him at first, but after two nights in a row of their paths crossing in opposite directions, he starts waving as he sees him approaching. The other waves back, his hair tied back, except for a few blond bangs refusing to stay put. There’s even the hint of a smile on his lips.

Atem is sure he’s seen him somewhere else, but he can’t quite put his finger on it. So he keeps running, and wonders if the other also thinks about him outside of those few seconds they see each other during their respective evening run.

A few days later, he sees him again, around the same time, around the same spot. He ponders about slowing down and stopping, just maybe to get the other’s name or anything. But he doesn’t, and just waves and smiles as he passes him by.

One night, his classes finishes later then usual, and he feels disappointment as he thinks about his missed opportunity to cross the other’s path once again. He stills opts to go on his run, hopeful. As he jogs down the stairs to the exit, he sees a figure, sitting on the porch, tying his shoes.

His heart skips a beat. As he opens the door, the other looks up, and smiles, surprised.

“Hey, it’s you,” he says.

Atem sits down next to him to adjust his shoes and stretch.

“Hi, mind if I join you tonight?”


	5. Lucky

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Coffee is a way of life. Enjoy!

Yugi woke up at 6:45 every morning. He would stretch like a cat, trying to wake his limbs up before slowly walking to the kitchen of the apartment he shared with Jounouchi, and prepare his coffee.

He could not live without his morning coffee.

This morning was not different, or so he thought.

“Jou… where’s the coffee jar?”

Jounouchi came out the bathroom, hair wet from his recent shower. He scratched the back of his neck, nervously.

“I believe we’re all out, pal.”

Yugi turned to him, holding the empty glass coffee pot he was rinsing in the sink. His violet eyes were wide-open, strange fact for someone still sleepy from the lack of caffeine.

“You’re kidding, right?”

Jou traveled from the bathroom to his bedroom with a towel around his hips. “But hey, there’s this very nice old lady in 3B. I see her often when I come back from work. I’m sure she could spare some if she has any!”

Yugi groaned and put the pot down on the counter. “Yes, and I’m going to be the jerk that wakes her up to ask for coffee, real keen there, Katsuya!”

His blond roommate came out, half-dressed, with a smile. “She feeds her cat very early, she told me he wakes her up at dawn!” He put on his shirt over his head and walked to the fridge, opening it to get breakfast ready. “Or you could always grab a coffee on the go if you prefer…”

The shorter boy cringed; he hated going to coffee shops in the morning, they were way too many people for his liking, especially if he had to face them without his caffeine fix. He went to his room, pulled a sweater from the pile of clothes on his desk. He pondered for a moment before keeping on his pyjamas pants.

He went back to the kitchen and grabbed a glass jar from the cupboards, sticking his tongue to Jounouchi who eyed him casually. He opened the door to their shared apartment and closed it behind him. He walked the 5 doors leading him to 3B and knocked.

“Coming…” a deep baritone voice answered, muffled by the door.

Well, that did not sound like and old la-

The door opened and Yugi blinked to be sure he was seeing clearly. In front of him stood a caramel skinned Adonis, hair-pulled back in a messy ponytail, wearing pyjamas pants adorned with little kuribos and a just-tight-enough black t-shirt. He was looking at him with a raised eyebrow over gorgeous scarlet eyes.

“Huh, hi! Can I help you?”

Yugi swallowed and looked down, escaping the gaze of the other and noticing a calico cat rubbing itself against the guy’s legs. He cleared his throat and looked back up.

“Hum, yes, hi! Sorry about the early hour, it’s just that my roommate told me you might spare some coffee? Blond guy, about this tall, goes by the name Jounouchi?” Yugi asked.

The stranger smiled and picked up the cat who meowed for attention. “Ah yes, Jou! We met a few days ago. And you’re in luck, I still have some. Follow me.”

He opened the door for Yugi to come in and closed it after him, dropping the cat back down. He led the way to the kitchen, his apartment very similar to Yugi and Jou’s. But Yugi did not take the time to look at his surroundings much as his gaze traveled to the curve of his neighbour’s back down to his –

“Want me to fill this up?” he gestured to the glass jar in Yugi’s hands.

Yugi handed it to him, trying very hard to control a blush he could feel coming. “Y-yes, please. And thank you very much…” he trailed.

“Atem. And you’re welcome…” the other offered.

“Yugi” he supplied, taking his now ground-coffee- filled jar back. He started walking back to the door, almost reluctantly. Atem followed him and opened it for him.

“I’ll see you around, then.”

Hopeful, Yugi thought he heard wanting in the other’s tone. He smiled up and offered his hand. “I sure hope so” he replied. Atem shook and said his good-byes as he watched Yugi walked back to his apartment.

As soon as he opened his own door, Yugi could smell the aroma of freshly brewed coffee in his apartment. Jou was sipping a cup, leaning on the counter, watching as Yugi entered the kitchen, smiling knowingly.

Yugi put the glass jar on the counter and eyed him, puffing. “Nice old lady, hey?”

“Coffee’s ready, turns out the jar was just misplaced…” Jou said, taking another sip.

“You conniving bastard!” Yugi hissed. “You’re lucky he was this handsome.”

“And single,” the blond provided, right before dodging the dishcloth thrown his way.


	6. Embers

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another AU, because Puzzleshipping belongs everywhere! Enjoy!

Atem was staring, like he had been secretly for the good part of the evening. Across from their camfire sat the object of his affection, wrapped in a woolen blanket and deep in conversation with Jounouchi. The passionate nature of their talk reflected itself in his lavender eyes, shinning brightly. Atem could not make out what exactly they were talking about, but he did not care.

“You are so obvious about this it almost hurts…”

Marik sat down next to him, handing him a beer.

“Shut up.”

The blond boy pushed back his hair and sighed. “You have been pining for him so hard for the last few, what, months? Just do something about it!”

Atem took a sip of his beer to postpone from answering. “I’m open to suggestion,” he replied.

Marik laughed, sipping on his own drink. “I have been giving you nudges in the right direction for weeks now! If it was up to me, I would have pushed him against the wall and just had my way with him, but no, you want to take your sweet time and get to know him first. It’s not like you never talked to him before; he’s in four of your classes, no?”

Atem fiddled with the label of his beer bottle, finally glancing in Marik’s direction. “Five if you count homeroom. And I just get so nervous around him, he’s just so…” he trailed.

“Normal?” Marik supplied. “I mean, yes, he has a really cut butt, don’t get me wrong, but he’s human. He’s a sickly sweet boy, nice to everyone and such. How intimidating can that be?”

Atem slapped the back of the other’s head with his hand. “Stop talking about his butt!” His friend took the offending hand and pulled him up, dragging him to the opposite side of the campfire. “Okay, enough of this. This ends tonight.”

The Egyptian barely had time to compose himself before facing his crush. Marik let go of his hand and addressed the blond boy sitting next to Yugi. “Yo Jou! I need your input on something, care to join me while we refill our drinks?” he said, interrupting the two.

Jounouchi turned to face the newcomers and smiled. “Sure! I’ll be back, Yug!” he replied, standing up and following Marik away from the fire. Atem was left standing, shuffling his feet, unsure of what to do or say at the moment.

“Care to sit?” Yugi provided, as he motioned to Jou’s previous spot next to him on the long log.

The other blinked and took the seat. “Sure, thanks.” For a moment, both were silent until Yugi spoke up again. “You know, we haven’t even had a chance to talk tonight. I’m glad this is happening.”

And just like that, something settled inside Atem as he smiled brightly at the boy sitting next to him. “So am I.”

The very early hours of the morning found them sharing the woolen blanket, still sitting on that same log in front of the dying embers of the campfire.


	7. Hell

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, so this one gave me a bit of a headache and I tried something different.  
> Hope you'll like it, enjoy!

It only took a moment and all hell broke loose.

The noise level had risen with the screams of his mother. In the background, the TV was still playing, completely forgotten by everybody in the room.

He couldn’t tell when he had started crying.

***

“Are you sure you want to do this?” he said.

The duffel bag with all of his most important belongings was ready, as well as a few changes of clothes and useful stuff. At first, he thought about not packing it, but then changed his mind. He couldn’t be too careful and he did not want to stay if things got out of hand.

“No.”

The other sat on his bed, packing books and school supplies into a backpack. He looked at him with all the support he could muster.

“You don’t have to.”

He sat next to him and fiddled with the bracelets around his wrist. He was silent for the next few seconds and refused to look up.

“But I need to,” he whispered.

***

The moment the words left his lips, he could see the change in both his parents. He felt anger, disgust, fear, disappointment, sadness, all thrown at him like a strong gust of wind. He thought for sure the storm was going to blow him away with all its might, but his partner’s hand in his kept him on the ground.

He had let the words come at him, hitting him like a ton of brick, and squeezed the hand harder. His mother vomited insults and hurtful things at him, while his father just kept the most stoic face while looking at him. Eventually, faced with the lack of reaction from her own son, his mother left the room and all that she left behind was the shattering sound of a door slamming.

He looked at the boy sitting next to him. The other smiled at him, affection flowing through his gaze. They both stood up from the couch, hand in hand, and walked to the door, where the backpack and dufflebag were waiting for them.

Right before opening the door, he heard hurried footsteps behind him and felt his father’s arms around him, tightly embracing him. He wrapped his free hand around him, and held on to the words he heard, murmured in his ear. “I love you.”

As they walked from his house to the other’s, Yugi never let go of his hand, even when halfway there, he had collapsed on the ground and cried his eyes out. He kept on holding on to it as he picked himself up from the ground after a while. He kept on holding on to it as they walked inside his own loving house. He kept on holding on to it as Atem fell asleep against him on his bed, watching him with all the pride he felt at his boyfriend’s courage.

“I’m not letting go,” he whispered.


	8. Summer

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Rated T for a reason ;)  
> Enjoy!

Summer, Yugi decided, had to be the cruelest of seasons.

Especially when one was sharing an apartment with Atem Sennen.

Atem who paraded around said apartment half naked most of the time.

Atem who was currently coming out the shower, freshly washed and droplets of water still clinging to his torso. He was wearing a pair of baggy shorts, just low enough that the edge of his boxer was peeking, showing those tantalizing hipbones.

Yugi had to stop staring. Now.

He quickly turned his gaze away, back to the eggs that were cooking in the pan in front of him, hiding the blush he was sure was slowly creeping up on his face and neck. He focused on finishing his breakfast and heard Atem open up the fridge behind him and shuffle around.

“I’m guessing you finished the eggs?”

Before Yugi could answer, he could feel the other boy peeking over his shoulder, his chest almost touching his shoulder blades through his t-shirt. He nearly dropped the spatula he was holding, but regained his composure just in time.

“Wanna share?” came the question right next to his ear.

Not only was Atem just strutting shirtless most of the time due to the fact that they did not have air conditioning, but he was also very unaware of physical boundaries, it seems. And the worst part was that Yugi knew that the other boy was completely oblivious to the effect that both these gestures had on his roommate.

He was about to answer, but when he turned his head, he realized how close they were and stopped thinking and breathing for a moment. Unconsciously, he licked his lips while his gaze fell to the bronze boy’s ones.

Crap, he couldn’t do this anymore.

The spatula fell on the floor in a brief clatter as Yugi pushed Atem against the counter, trapping his hands underneath his. The other did not even have time to register what was happening before a pair of lips found his neck and a tongue licked a lonely drop of water that was still hanging there.

And, to Yugi’s surprise and delight, he heard a sound he could get addicted to: Atem groaning, a low rumble in the back of his throat. His head tilted back, giving even more access to his slender brown neck. The shorter boy bit down on the flesh and then kissed softly, before repeating the motion on other parts of the skin up to the collarbone.

Crimson met violet for a moment. Atem’s cheeks were flushed and his lips looking oh so inviting. Yugi prepared to dive, wanting a taste of what the other had to offer.

“Yugi?”

The boy shook his head and realised his eggs were starting to overcook in the pan. The spatula was still in his hands, suspended in mid-movement, and Atem was leaning against the counter, looking at him questioningly. 

“You okay there, pal?” he asked.

The skin of his neck was untouched, the water droplets still there, the whole thing just a fragment of fantasy now settling in the back f Yugi's mind. Oh how the summer heat had affected his brain. Yugi quickly took the plate from the counter and transferred the eggs to it. He placed it in front of Atem. He wiped his hands on a dishcloth, still not looking at his friend.

“Here you go, enjoy! Not hungry anymore!” he said before exiting the kitchen area.

Atem barely had time to catch the plate that was thrown at him. “Hey, where are you going? What’s the rush?”

Yugi answered hurriedly before locking himself in the bathroom, in desperate need of a cold shower. “Just showering quickly, wouldn’t want to be late for work!” He rested his back against the door, letting go of the breath he didn’t know he had been holding.

***

Outside, Atem stared at the closed bathroom door and sighed before taking a bite of the eggs.

“So close,” he whispered to himself.

And to think that Yugi had started wearing his hair up in a ponytail ever since the heat had hit, showing off that perfect ivory neck. That skin just begged to be kissed, he swore.

Summer, Atem decided, had to be the cruelest of seasons.


	9. Drowning

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Canon-compliant this time, inspired by the amazing song Island by Svrcina.  
> I strongly recommand listening to it while reading :)  
> This can be read as a follow-up to Day 2: Ambition  
> Enjoy!

Every time, Yugi felt like forgetting how to breathe.

At first, they had not think about the consequences of what was happening between them. After all, they were both teenage boys with hormones, or so they thought. They had already been very touchy-feely with one another from the beginning, fingers always meeting, hands holding without really needing to.

Then, Yugi had taken the initiative and opened up the door to feelings by kissing the other. Yami had responded, happily giving in to the emotions that he could also not contain anymore. They had forgotten to talk about it afterwards, just lost in the moment of finally being able to let go of their barriers.

The next night, when Yugi had come to his soul room again, he had been ready to resume where they had left off, but stopped himself right before kissing him.

“Is this wrong?” Yami asked, lips so close, only a breath away.

Yugi had snaked his hands around his neck, connecting in the back, fingers tangling themselves in his hair. Their noses and foreheads were touching and Yami could hear the other swallowing hard and then breathing against his skin.

“I don’t know” the shorter one answered, “but I don’t care.”

And Yami had kissed him again, making him forget about everything. It was almost hesitant, how their lips met again, how they did not know if it was okay to deepen the kiss or not. Yugi only tried to focus on keeping his breathing steady, or else he felt like he would be lost in the overwhelming feeling of it all.

He fell backwards on the floor, the scarlet-eyed boy crawling on top of him. He let himself be kissed senseless, then the lips that had been on his traveled from his cheek to his collarbone, right down to a very sensitive spot right below his ear.

His breathing came in harsh pants and when he felt a nimble on his neck, he moaned, trying to keep it as quiet as possible. He grabbed onto the other’s neck and pulled it to his own mouth, leaving a trail of open-mouth kisses, enjoying the skin, wanting to commit the sensation to memory.

A hand fumbled around and found the hem of his shirt, lifting it barely a few inches, slowly, like peeling it off his skin. Fingers ghosted around his waist, enjoying the goosebumps they produced. Yugi had to stop his kisses, hiding his face against Yami’s chest, finding it harder and harder to breathe, to stay in the moment.

The hand left his stomach to reach for his face, directing it back to the other’s, lips hungrily reclaiming his. Yugi fisted the taller boy’s shirt, trying to steady himself, to keep the ground from opening up beneath him and swallow him whole. His mouth opened, welcoming the tongue asking for entrance. It was like waves after waves, keeping him from finding the perfect rhythm, taking his breaths away one at a time. It was so intense he almost couldn’t take it anymore.

A thumb wiped away a stray tear next to his eye, and then lips followed, whispering a series of apologies.

And in a split second of clarity, Yugi knew that, if this was what it felt like to be drowning, then he would gladly let himself be consumed by the ocean when it came for him.


	10. Shiver

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Companion piece to Doors, because you guys deserve it.
> 
> Here's to all of you wonderful reviewers who keep making me smile everyday! You have no idea how much your comments mean to me!
> 
> Enjoy!

Atem had first felt the shiver when he woke up on the morning of his fourteenth birthday. If he had not been sleeping as lightly as he was, he might have missed it. It had spread from his little finger all the way to his toes, making them curl as he sat, now completely awake.

In that moment, he noticed the red string tied to his little finger and smiled. It was finally there. He cradled his hand to his heart and let his fingers softly graze the now-present reminder that, somewhere out there, someone was waiting for him too.

Every night, he would look at it before letting sleep claim him. He would whisper sweet nothings to it, wondering if the person on the other end could hear it, or at least feel all the devotion he poured into his words.

Some nights, when days had been particularly rough, he confided in it, wishing for it to reach out whoever was listening like at the other end of those children phones made of two cans and a piece of string in between.

He never searched on other people’s finger if he could see the end of it. Deep down, he knew that he would feel the red string before he ever saw it. He once talked about it with Marik, one of his good friends from school, who told him he couldn’t care less about it. He wanted to fall in love like he saw people do in movies, and no string was going to prevent him from doing that.

Years later, Marik had come across his soulmate and changed his mind. Atem wished upon his string once more.

Winter had crept upon them as it always did. Maybe that’s why it took him a couple of seconds to register that he was not shivering from the cold as he entered the train station. His eyes went straight to his pinky as he felt his toes curl from the intensity of the sensation. He looked around, and there were so many people he felt like drowning in the crowd. The train car parked at the station left a few seconds later, taking away the shiver with it.

Atem couldn’t sleep that night.

The new few days and weeks, he felt the shiver, but barely there, like an afterthought, always when he was rounding to head to the train station. He tried getting there earlier, but the buzzing sensation in his core always left before he had a chance to really scan the crowd.

At the museum where he worked, they were preparing for a very important exhibition, changing Atem’s schedule, therefore train routine. He took the distraction willingly, needing to distance himself from his inner turmoil of missing out all the time. The shiver subsided, but his fingertips and toes felt raw from the overstimulation they had suffered for the past month. He threw himself into work, only letting his mind wonder back to the string at night as he once more let his fingers caressed it, like a lullaby easing him to sleep.

Then one morning, the shiver was back with such force that he jolted awake from it. It left him feeling feverish all day long, until he couldn’t take it anymore and left for the train station. As soon as he went down the stairs, it hit him like a ton of brick, so strongly he had to bend over to keep from falling. He heard the train arriving into the station and people boarding it. His fingers itched like crazy as he pushed himself up on the wall to stand straight and search the crowd.

The string was there, as clear as day, snaking around and reaching inside the train car. A pair of violet eyes was staring directly into his and Atem was taken over by the thought that he had never seen such a more beautiful shade of colour in all his life. The owner of said eyes lifted his pinky, and there, carefully wrapped around it, was the other end of the red string.

As if one cue, both boys tried to make their way to each other through the sea of strangers around them. But time was not on their side as the doors of the train car closed just in time for them to slap their hand against the car window, pinkies connected by fate.

No. No. No.

Atem felt like screaming at every god he knew the name of, cursing them for playing such a cruel trick on him. But the look of longing in the other’s eyes kept him grounded as he made sure to repeat what he hoped his soulmate would understand.

A promise.

“I’ll find you.”


	11. Mourning

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Short and angsty  
> I promised to be back with fluff tomorrow!  
> Enjoy!

Everyday was perfect in the Fields of Reeds.

The colours were so vivid.

The scents were so present.

The breeze was so light and fresh.

The song of the cicadas was so soothing.

The taste of the air was so delicate.

At first, he had not care for the perfection of it all, he had gauged himself on the feelings of gratefulness and completion his coming to the Afterlife had given him. He had reunited with the friends and family from his memories, had cried, and laughed, and shared meals with them. It was as if they had never been apart all these years.

It took him a few days to realize that something was amiss. He wandered around, taking in the sights and looking around, but he couldn’t quite put his finger on what he had started missing so suddenly. As he lay on his bed when night came, he closed his eyes and met only emptiness.

He didn’t dare talk about it at first. After all, wasn’t this supposed to be his paradise? He was sure the feeling would pass, he just had to let everything settle in.

But the feeling overwhelmed him, like a strong wave taking him under. He awoke one morning, crying, a name on the tip of his tongue, but unable to form a word. There had been someone in his dreams, like a shadow he couldn’t quite catch or keep up with. It had tainted every single scene in his mind, leaving a sour aftertaste in his mouth.

Once again, he tried to push the feeling away, wondering if this was an after-effect of his coming to term with the Afterlife.

***

Everyday was the same in the Fields of Reeds.

Atem could describe it in such intricate details now.

But the colours were not as bright anymore.

The scents were making him dizzy.

The breeze now felt dull against his skin.

The cicadas didn’t sing as harmoniously as before.

The air pressed heavy on his lungs.

Every morning left the aftertaste in his mouth, the name still hanging from the edge of his tongue, the shadow still haunting him. He had now started seeing it as he walked around the Afterlife, like something in the corner of his eye; always there in his periphery, never there when he looked for it.

He finally went to Mahad about it. His lifelong friend only looked at him with sadness.

“Your soul, as it seems, calls for another half that is not yours to share anymore.”

Atem had cried, unable to contain the heavy burden of pain on his chest.

“What can I do?” he simply asked through labored breaths.

“Grieve for you loss, old friend,” Mahad had answered.

***

Everyday was cruel in the Fields of Reeds.

For how was he to mourn someone he could not put a name or a face to.


	12. Mirror

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning: The rating of this series has just been upped to M, this chapter being the first O.O  
> I would like to dedicate this chapter to TheDeceivingMaiden, who asked for steam;)  
> Please be aware that this is my first time ever writing smut, so if there is anything, let me know!  
> Enjoy!!!

Yugi was not a morning person.

Everyone seemed so in a hurry in the morning: in a hurry to get up, to shower, to get dressed, and to go about his or her day.

And Yugi liked to take his time, which is why he had taken the habit of showering in the evening, when everyone was getting ready for bed. The showers were mostly empty at that time, and he could take his sweet time, enjoy the warm water on his back and relax all he wanted. Every night, he would cross the distance between his room and the showers, clad in only his pyjama pants, toiletries in hand. He’d sometimes waved his friend Marik, who most likely would be stretched on his bed playing videogames at the time, his door ajar. He had his favourite shower stall, the one right at the end, far from the chill that could come in if someone else were to open the door. He’d let the water calm him down from the day, especially if it had been a very tiresome one. The silence only punctuated with the sound of water hitting his own skin had a soothing effect that nothing could match.

Yugi’s shower time was a well-deserved time and he enjoyed it to the last drop.

So it came as a surprise when one day, he heard someone else come into the showers around the same time he did. Not that it was that unusual per say, but it hadn’t happen for the last few weeks since he’d taken the habits of coming in even later than usual. He heard the shuffling of feet and the water humming in a stall close to his, but kept to his own personal grooming. There was no voice or any other indicator that could give him a clue as to who was still up at the same time he was.

The other boy ended his shower before he did, almost too quickly if Yugi had to be honest about it. He did not stay long, and then Yugi heard him brush his teeth before leaving the room. Finishing up his own washing, Yugi was wrapping a towel around his hips as he opened the curtain to his shower and almost dropped it at the sight.

There in the fog on the mirror, words had carefully been written for him.

_Hey hot stuff. Looking good._

Yugi blushed furiously before searching if anyone else was in the bathroom. He stared at the words for a few seconds, before gulping and wiping them with his hand. Was this a cruel joke? How could the other boy had known it was him in the stall? Unless… It was easy enough for someone to know when Yugi would be here, his body craved for a shower like clockwork every night. He could think of a few people that could be making a joke; however, he could also think of one person in particular he could only hope wrote the message.

Not that Yugi would ever make a move on Atem, not yet. Yes, they talked daily, but mostly small talk as they passed each other. They’d only met a few months ago and they usually only hung out together with a bunch of other people from the dorms, playing video games or board games. But ever since Yugi had caught Atem shirtless once as he passed his room, the Egyptian had slowly crept his way into Yugi’s fantasies, and had refused to leave ever since.

Yugi bit his lower lip and looked at his own reflection. Crap, now Yugi was intrigued, and turned on. But if the mystery boy wanted to play this game, they could both play together then.

***

The next night, Yugi arrived a bit earlier and made sure he was once more alone in the bathroom. He turned on his shower at the highest temperature possible. He then set his part of the game in motion, before adjusting the temperature again and stepping into his shower stall.

A few seconds later, the door to the communal bathroom opened, almost hesitantly. Feet walked over and then stopped, and he heard the clatter of a shampoo bottle on the floor. Yugi smiled to himself, but did not make any other move, just waited for the other to start and finish his routine, as he had done the day before. He resisted the urge to pull open the curtain to take a peek at who his mystery admirer was. He needed for the other to do his move first. He listened as he noticed the sound of fingers against mirror, replying to his prompt.

He waited for the bathroom door to open and close before turning the water of his shower off and stepping out. There, on the mirror were two sets of words, the first line his own and the second his correspondent’s response.

_Wish I could say the same, haven’t sample the goods yet._

_You're on. Tomorrow, same time._

Yugi felt his face heat up once more. It had been a bold move on his part, and now he couldn’t wait until tomorrow night. He looked at the words once again while brushing his teeth, and wiped them out again before leaving the bathroom.

***

Yugi kept looking at the clock on his desk, the minutes ticking excruciatingly slowly. He tried focusing on his essay for the tenth time in the last hour, but realised he really couldn’t focus on anything except the prospect of meeting up with a boy that found him attractive.

As soon as the hands of the clock reach the familiar hour, he stood up quickly and proceeded to change into his pyjamas pants like he did all the time, and left his room, a spring in his step. He entered the bathroom: still empty. He set his stuff in his usual shower stall and almost jumped when he heard the door to the room open. He turned around and literally froze on the spot.

For Atem, the Atem from that one shirtless time in his room, the Atem from most of his nightly and daily fantasies, stood there, his back to the door, wearing a pair of sweats and a black tanktop, as well as a very hesitant smile.

“Hi,” he just said.

Yugi was speechless for a moment. He took in the sight and drank in the other’s slightly muscular built as he leaned casually against the door, that bronze skin tempting, making him wonder just how it would taste against his mouth. He shook his head and focused on their current situation.

“Wait a second! YOU think I’M hot?” was all Yugi could think about on the spot. “Have you looked at yourself in a mirror lately?” he exclaimed, only noticing his obvious comment as it left his tongue. His hand slapped against his offending mouth.

Atem snickered, crossing his arms. His gaze traveled from his face to his feet, taking his sweet time exploring every inch of skin available with his eyes. “Have you?” he replied.

The lavender-eyed boy looked at him, completely dumbfounded for a moment. He suddenly felt very exposed with his chest open wide for the other to drink in. He then leaned against the counter, also crossing his arms, and huffed. “Okay, but why now? I see you every morning, we talk, we game together from time to time in Marik’s room, I mean, there could have been any other time…”

The Egyptian walked over to him slowly and trapped him against the counter as he answered. “I got tired of just watching, and decided to do something about it. I mean, you parade shirtless in the corridor every night, and I’m just supposed to not do anything about it?”

Atem’s hand were so close to him as they rested on the counter next to him he could feel heat coming from them. And he knew he wanted those hands on him. Now.

“Didn’t know if it was going to work though. Did it?” he heard Atem ask.

Yugi stopped breathing for a second and focused all his attention on the almond colored lips in front of him. He swallowed, feeling the heat spreading throughout his body. “Maybe…” he whispered, and then tore his gaze away from the temptation of the lips to switch it to crimson irises. “Definitely,” he finished.

“Good.”

His mind barely registered the other’s response before he felt those delicious-looking lips crashed onto his in a hungry kiss. He grabbed onto the front of Atem’s shirt, returning the kiss with the same hunger, opening his mouth when he felt a tongue sliding against his lips, willingly welcoming it in.

Hands met with his waist, leaving welcomed heat, and slid down his hips, grazing his butt before grabbing his thighs and lifting him on the bathroom counter, between two sinks. Atem’s lips left his with a wet noise and attacked his neck while his hands went back to his waist, caressing the skin of his lower back, fingers grazing his spine, leaving a trail of shivers that had Yugi breathing harder. His head fell back against the mirror as he tried to stay grounded, not to fly too high too fast. He wrapped his legs around the other’s waist, pulling him in, earning a low moan from Atem that rumbled against the skin where his neck was being ravished. His hands found themselves pulling at Atem’s shirt, which was in the way of him exploring the caramel skin hidden underneath.

“Shirt. Off. Now!”

Atem didn’t even say anything. His mouth immediately let go of Yugi’s neck as he slipped away briefly to pass his shirt over his head, dropping it on the floor next to them. As soon as the action was done, Yugi pulled the newly exposed torso to him, his mouth latching on to it, peppering it with kisses and careful placed tongue lashes right along the clavicule. Yugi thought he could get addicted to the taste of the other’s skin quickly. The kisses then went south until they reached one of the brown nipples begging for attention, and Yugi gave it a slow circular lick before letting his teeth nibble it softly.

“Fuck…”

Atem brought his arms around his shoulders, fingers digging almost painfully into the skin, his back arching into the new sensation. Instantly, Yugi’s legs wrapped a little bit tighter, bringing their core closer and he could clearly feel the effect his touch had on other parts of Atem’s body as well. His mind clouded as he let go of the nipple and searched frantically for the other’s lips again.

As their tongue battled for dominance, Atem’s hands went down to Yugi’s butt, squeezing the tender mounds and making their hips collide together. The movement immediately brought a deep moan from the seated boy, and Atem repeated the motion, making sure to align their arousals and applying just the right amount of pressure.

Yugi slowly felt himself coming undone as he met each of Atem’s thrusts, keeping a steady rhythm, knowing their movement was having the same effect on the bronzed boy. Their mouths disconnected, Yugi aiming for Atem’s earlobe. He sucked on it before breathing into the ear. “Right there… just don’t…”

As on command, the thrust became even more insistent as Atem bit down on Yugi’s shoulder, trying to keep the volume of his moans quieter. He could feel himself coming closer to the edge as Yugi’s moans turned into grunts and the legs around his hips squeezed harder. He gave a few deeper thrust against the other and let the waves of pleasure ride through him as he came too. He let his head rest against the pale shoulder, steadying his breath, listening to Yugi do the same.

Coming down from their high, both did not hear the door opening as Marik came in, shower utilities in one hand, a towel on his arm. He stopped dead in his tracks when he noticed their position, flushed face and heavy breathing. He blinked a couple of times before slowly turning around and opening the door to leave.

“About damn time if you ask me. Just clean up after yourselves, children!” he stated before the door closed on him.

For a second, neither talked until Yugi facepalmed. “You didn’t lock the door?!” he managed through his fingers.

Atem looked at him, almost scandalized. “No! I didn’t know things would… escalate this quickly,” he motioned between the two of them.

Yugi laughed at the awkwardness of the situation and rested his forehead against Atem’s, who eventually returned his smile. “Not that I don’t like this, but now, I really need a shower.”

Atem’s low baritone chuckle sent another wave of goosebumps inside Yugi. “Wanna share a stall?” he asked.

Yugi lightly pushed him away as he got off from the counter. “Pervert!” he replied before grabbing his hand and leading him into the last shower stall. He turned his head towards the other and grinned. “Definitely.”


	13. Clean

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> TRIGGER WARNING: susbtance abuse  
> Okay... this took a lot out of me, but once it was out, I was feeling better.  
> This is stand-alone canon-compliant. This is sad and raw.  
> This is still puzzleshipping based, I did not intend this to be wishshipping, I just love Jounouchi.

Jounouchi held his hair back, trying to ease the strong heaves taking over him by rubbing his back, as he threw up the contains of his stomach once again, throat hurting from the acid reflux and eyes stinging with tears of pain.

“I got you, Yug. Not going anywhere.”

He gripped the toilet bowl, breathing hard, shivering even when a thick wool blanket was wrapped around him.

At least, the physical pain pulled him away from his own mind, if only for so long.

***

He couldn’t sleep.

Again.

Every time he closed his eyes, the only thing he could conjure was images of Atem.

Of memories.

Of the total absence of the Pharaoh.

He could feel the headache coming from lack of sleep.

So many sleepless nights.

He reached for the bathroom cabinet and opened it with a stronger tug than he intended.

A small bottle fell and he stared at it.

Dated back from his hospital stay after he had almost lost the puzzle to the flames.

To ease the pain if necessary, they had said.

One time, just one good night, he thought.

It couldn’t hurt.

***

Soon, the bottle was empty.

His night were pure emptiness, but it was better than the silence in his mind, punctured with the images of what used to be his other self.

It wasn’t that difficult to find another bottle, easier than he had expected.

On the evenings, he craved the feeling, needed the release.

Now that the memories couldn’t attack him at night, they started coming during the day.

One time, just to ease a particular difficult day, he thought.

It couldn’t hurt.

***

If Anzu noticed the change, she didn’t say anything, maybe out of respect for his pain.

But Jounouchi couldn’t let it go.

“You gotta talk to me, pal.”

No, I don’t, he thought. You wouldn’t understand.

“Don’t push me away.”

A short trip to the bathroom, another pill would make this easier.

“Please.”

He left school as soon as the bell rang, he didn’t wait for his best friend.

At least, he couldn’t feel the pang of constant pain anymore.

***

He felt the wall connecting with his back, more than he felt the hand on his collar.

He could see the lips moving, could sense the vibrations from the words coming at him.

But he couldn’t bring himself to care.

He stared at the other with glazed eyes.

If he could have felt anything, maybe he would have registered something akin to fear when he watched the other flush the remaining pills from the bottle down the drain.

But he couldn’t bring himself to care.

“Talk to me!” Jounouchi yelled.

But he couldn’t bring himself to care.

“Say something, anything!”

But he couldn’t bring himself to care.

He picked himself up from the floor and left the bathroom.

***

In his daze, he had forgotten he was completely out.

He racked his fingers through his hair.

Everything suddenly hurt, and the images were rushing back inside his head.

He didn’t know how he ended up outside the other’s apartment, soaking wet from the rain that had been pouring outside.

The door opened.

The blond looked at him.

And Yugi yelled.

And cried.

And yelled some more.

And hit both fists against Jounouchi’s chest, pouncing and pouncing.

The blond simply stood there.

And when he had felt as he was just going to fall and hit the ground, his friend had caught him in strong arms.

He had tried to push him away, but the other had simply tightened his embrace and brought him inside.

He didn’t let go, even when the smaller boy trashed against him and kept of crying and screaming and insulting him.

He only loosened his arms when he knew for sure that his breath had evened, indicating he had fallen asleep from exhaustion.

But he didn’t let go all night.

***

Jounouchi gave the excuse to everyone that he had caught meningitis or something, that he was immune, therefore would be taking care of him.

That’s what he told him.

He moved a few of his things to his room and settled down next to him on the floor from where he had refused to move ever since coming back to his house.

The days and nights fused, he didn’t know anymore.

The chills were so powerful, so painful.

But he welcomed the pain for now.

All the while, Jounouchi held his hand, his head, his whole body, whatever was needed.

Most of the time, he didn’t talk.

But he listened, just in case Yugi felt like eventually talking.

It didn’t happen.

***

The blond had fallen asleep behind him, as he was nestled between his legs, both boys wrapped in a thick blanket.

He stood up and walked to his balcony. The air was heavy, he could feel rain coming.

He sat on one the chairs and closed his eyes.

The pull was so strong, and he was so weak, he let himself be guided by it.

_Partner._

Atem was standing in front of him.

He ran up to him and embraced him with everything he had.

_Other me._

The other returned the embrace, but didn’t say anything in reply.

And Yugi let the words pour out.

_This is so hard! You’re gone and it hurts so much! And I hate you for it, but I don’t at the same time! I just need this pain to stop, and I don’t know how to handle anything anymore. I don’t know how to be me without you. I don’t WANT to be me without you._

He felt the kiss in his hair.

_I know. I’m not saying you have to let go or move on now or soon. But you have to live._

Tears were streaming down his face.

_Then how?_

A squeeze in the hug and he felt it slowly dissipating.

_One second at the time. If you can count to a minute, then you can do it for another. Until we meet again._

He took a deep breath and started counting.

***

When he opened his eyes, he felt the rain on him.

Jounouchi was standing in the doorway of the balcony, a towel in hand.

He helped him get dry and changed, then the blond sat back down on the bed, nestling him back in his legs and wrapping protective arms around him.

“I got you, Yug. Not going anywhere.”

And for the first time in a long time, Yugi replied.

“I know.”

One, two, three, four…


	14. Frozen

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So this little snippet, I waited a long time to include it and felt it was about time.  
> Especially after the last angst chapter, you deserve some love!  
> This is canon-compliant, post DSOD (okay, so I'm not a huge fan of the ending where Kaiba travels to the Afterlife, so my mind kinda blanked it out when I wrote this).  
> No smut, this time, but let them get there ;)  
> Enjoy!

He emerges from the surface of the water, gulping for air. There is a slight panic in his chest that he tries to calm down, as he makes sure to stay afloat. His arms draw circles around him as he takes in his surroundings. Cargo ships are scattered around and he recognizes the Domino pier after a few minutes, not far away from where he dueled Jounouchi during the Battle City preliminaries.

He heads for the closest dock. He grasps at the ladder, but hesitates before climbing it. He rests his head, listening to his beating heart.

His own beating heart.

He shivers and finally takes into account that not only did he just traveled from the Fields of Reeds to the outskirt of Domino city, but he is also stark naked in the water.

He hears Osiris’s voice in his head. _“You will need to be reborn to resurface on Earth as a mortal.”_ He had mentioned something about a body of water, closest to what his memory would grasp onto as he was being brought back to life.

He eventually climbs the ladder and shivers from the wind and the cold weather of what he assumes might be late summer. The sky is darkening, sun barely still peaking at the horizon. He wraps his arms around him, but can’t bring himself to move just yet. His fingers graze at the skin, getting familiarized with the feeling under them. He brings them to his face and suddenly, he’s laughing and crying at the same time, and he just can’t control anything anymore.

“Hey you!”

He turns around, his bronzed skin glistening in the dying sunlight, filled with goosebumps. A security guard stares at him and points a flashlight directly on his body.

“What the fuck around you doing around here naked?!”

***

Yugi is cleaning up behind the counter for the night. He walks over to the door and turns the open sign to a closed one. He heads back to his counter, making sure to lock the door and the register. He is about to head upstairs when the phone from the shop rings. He hesitates before letting out a sigh and walking the few steps back down, and picks up.

“Kame Game shop?”

There is a really long quiet pause, but he can hear someone breathing on the other end of the receiver. He thinks about repeating his introduction, when he hears a word that completely takes him aback.

“Partner…”

And he is completely frozen as time seems to stop around him.

This is a joke, this has to be. But the voice, the soft baritone that he had come to know so well after sharing a mind with for two years, is the same, the longing in the word so sweet and true. His back hits the wall behind him and his legs give out as he falls to the floor, phone still in hand, eyes wide and mouth hanging.

“It’s me,” the voice continues.

He doesn’t know how he actually manages to retrieve the ability to speak. He cradles the receiver with both hands and breathes deep, trying to calm his racing heart and holding back a choke.

“How… where are you?” he simply asks, not trusting his voice to form a longer sentence.

He almost drops the phone at the answer, as his eyes grow even wider.

“What?!”

***

Roland opens up the door and Yugi climbs into the town car. Kaiba is already there in the back seat, a computer open on his lap. Next to him is an open folder filled with legal documents.

“While we’re on our way there, care to explain to me again what exactly happened?”

No hi or how are you, just straight to business. Typical Kaiba.

“I don’t know, he didn’t have much time to talk to me. I just know I don’t want him to spend the night there.”

The ride there is not long enough to go into the intricate details of what Kaiba plans to do once they arrived, but Yugi trusts him.

“Maybe it would be best if you wait here. I don’t want you to get all emotional on me and ruin my efforts.”

The shorter boy still gets out of the car, but leans against it, instead of following the tall brunet. Right before he steps into the building however, he stops him.

“Wait! Could you give him this? I think he’d rather have these then what they probably gave him inside.”

Kaiba takes the bag, nods and walks in.

And Yugi waits, some of the longest minutes in his life.

***

He is sitting inside, dressed in what must be the ugliest sweater Kaiba has ever seen and his pants are so big they are barely able to stay around his slim hips. An officer opens up the door to the holding cell and calls out a name.

“Atem Sennen, you’re free to go.”

He automatically raises his head and his gaze falls on the blue-eyed boy, looking at him coolly. He stands there, a bag in hand and his trusty metal suitcase in the other. He steps aside and the Egyptian walks out, unable to not look at him.

“Kaiba,” he states.

“Atem,” the aforementioned boy replies.

“What are you-“

Kaibe holds up the bag to him and cuts him mid-sentence.

“Yugi called me, and even though I thought I was through dealing with you idiots, it seems there was still work to be done. He thought it best I hadle the legal issue of this. And before you ask, yes, I had to improvise a family name, we all have those around here.”

He stops and waits for the other to take the bag from him, which he does almost hesitant.

“But you will have a lot of explaining to do, Pharaoh,” he finishes as he motions to the bathroom with his head. “Get changed. You look like a mess.”

Atem keeps his eyes on him, and immediately, the cold boy knows what the next words out of his mouth are going to be.

“Is Yugi-“

Kaiba sighed audibly.

“He’s outside, waiting. Just hurry so we can get out of here.”

Atem doesn’t need to be told twice this time, although he manages two words before going. "Thank you."

***

Of course, Yugi would have thought to bring him a change of clothes.

For a moment, he stares at himself in the stained mirror of the small bathroom. His hair looks like two birds had a fight over a nest and he tries to comb it with his fingers. The feeling of the pain against his scalp brings out a soft whine out of him, and he stops. The pain is real, but so is he now. His eyes fixate on the ones he sees right in front of him.

Inside those scarlet irises is a mix of fear, apprehension and excitement, and anxiety hits him.

What if…?

Then, as a faint light in the dark, his nose picks up a familiar and soothing scent. His hands grab the collar of the hoodie he is now wearing and bring it closer to his face. He takes a deep breath as all that is Yugi fuses with his sense. He closes his eyes, but opens them almost instantly.

The urgency with which is grabs the doorknob to escape the bathroom borders on wild, but he doesn’t care, even when he opens the door too quickly and too strongly.

***

Yugi waits until he can’t anymore and just starts pacing around the car.

Right now, he doesn’t understand and, frankly, he doesn’t care. He just wants time to move faster until he confirms this whole ordeal is really what it seems to be.

And then, he doesn’t have to wait anymore as the door to the police station open and out comes Kaiba followed by…

Yugi swears he stops breathing right at that moment.

Because Atem, his Other Me, is walking shyly behind Kaiba, wearing one of Yugi’s oversized hoodie, a pair of his jeans and sneakers he thought would actually fit the other. His hair is all over the place, but Yugi can’t bring himself to find him anything less than beautiful. His skin looks sunkissed even under the now very dark sky.

And the other slows his walk even more when their eyes meet. There is a slight hesitation that reaches his eyes, but the sides of his mouth can’t help but start to curl. So Yugi can’t just wait anymore for Atem to come to him, so he goes to Atem.

And then, Yugi’s hands are on his face, cradling it oh so softly, like if he is afraid to hurt him, or maybe he is afraid to have him slip away. Atem grabs his wrists, anchoring the hands there and releasing the breath he had been holding.

“It’s really you,” Yugi says.

Violet eyes pouring love.

“Yes,” Atem simply replies.

Foreheads resting against one another.

“All of you.”

The fingers press slightly on his cheeks.

“All of me.”

And then there are tears, and laughter and a kiss that feels so good as Yugi pulls Atem as close as he can. There is not hesitation there, just tenderness and love and devotion and everything. There is nothing else but this kiss right now, not even the sound of Kaiba’s exasperated sigh as he climbs back into the car. Hands wrap around a neck, others around a waist, and they hold each other as two puzzle pieces, fitting just perfectly together.

No more waiting.

But the world could wait.


	15. Winter

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, so real life caught up with me for the last few days, sorry about the late update.  
> I'll try to make it up to you with fluff in the next few chapters!
> 
> Here a follow-up to the Summer piece, I couldn't leave pining boys just pining ;)
> 
> Enjoy!

Hot summer turned into breezy fall, then into cold winter.

Yugi thought for sure that the coldness of the weather would help cool his fantasies about the tall glass of Egyptian sharing a flat with him, but it did not do quite the trick. Recently, he was just happy that his roommate was not so keen of the freezing temperature, so he had turned to thick sweaters and long pants, hiding that delicious looking skin away from Yugi’s prying eyes.

Yugi had been quite busy with finishing up the semester and working part-time, hiding away at the library to wrap up essays and homework. However, now that it was all over, he would be spending some well-deserved downtime for the next few weeks.

First thing of order on his list had been to make up for lost time with his friends, and they had decided to enjoy the freshly fallen snow and planned to spend a day outdoors. And because he missed spending time with Atem too, he had invited him to join them, and the other had accepted the offer, although making sure he was carefully covered to avoid most of the cold.

They had switch from ice-skating to sledding down hills, to an eventual inevitable snowball fight. When the cold had started bitting through their boots and chilling their toes, they decided to retreat to Yugi and Atem’s apartment, for a warmer evening in with pizza and games. Honda, Anzu and Jounouchi had offered to go get changed and take care of the food, since the other two were inviting them to their place.

Both boys silently walked next to another in the quiet of winter, both still trying to keep the little warmth they had left in them. As they entered their apartment, they went to their room separately to switch from their damp clothes to more comfortable ones. Yugi then went up to tidy the living room, making sure there were enough good seats available.

When Atem came back from his room, Yugi gulped.

He had traded his turtleneck sweater for an oversized loose sweater that almost slid off one shoulder, his hair tousled from wearing a beanie all afternoon and his cheeks slightly red from the leftover cold from outside. His legs were wrapped in a pair of blue faded jeans he had preferred over the ones he was previously wearing, and without knowing exactly why, the fact that he was currently walking up to the couch barefoot did something to Yugi’s stomach.

Yugi gulped again.

Atem settled down on the couch, hugging a pillow and resting his head on it. He sighed happily, completely unaware of the inner turmoil of his roommate, still standing, like a frozen statute. He turned to look at him, eyebrow raised quizzically.

“So… Wanna start playing now, or we wait for the others to come back with the food?”

The other boy ran a hand to his hair, coming back down on Earth, and trotted over to the game console next to the TV. He grabbed the two controllers, and gently handed one to the bronzed boy as he sat down next to him. Calming his nerves, he smirked at the other.

“I can beat your ass at least a couple of times before they’re back, trust me!”

They started off a few a few friendly fights, and eventually, Yugi, who had try to avoid it as long as he could, glanced sideways and caught sight of the fact that a little part of Atem’s shoulder was now due to the fact that the neckline of his sweater was so big.

And he wasn’t pushing any buttons anymore. His gaze lingered hypnotically on that new sliver of skin peeking from the opening of Atem’s sweater and he felt his pulse quicken.

“Oh come on, you’re not even-“ Atem started, shifting his eyes from the TV to the boy seated next to him.

Yugi barely registered his controller slipping for his hands as he reached to lay them on the other’s waist and brought his lips to gently press a kiss on the curve between his neck and his shoulder. At first, Atem didn’t react, but then he grabbed onto one arm and pressed his fingers into it through the fabric of Yugi flannel shirt. The violet-haired man pressed another kiss next to the first one, this time lingering longer, taking his sweet time tasting the skin. The gasp that escaped from the other’s lips encouraged him to go further up to the exposed side of the neck. A hand found its way to his hair and fingers dig carefully around, just holding the head there, like making sure the kisses kept coming. Yugi used the pressing as an invitation to nibble and lick and suck slowly, trying to elicit more breathtaking sounds out of the other.

Atem was panting hard now, and he could only focus on those lips against his skin driving him crazy as he hung on to the other that was taking all the time in the world to explore it.

“Yugi…” he let out.

As if one cue, the lips stopped moving and lavender eyes searched for scarlet ones. For a moment, Yugi just looked at him and suddenly, completely out of the blue, his eyes grew wide.

“Pinch me” he demanded.

Atem, eyes filled with lust, looked at him, completely taken aback. “I… Sorry what?”

“I just need to know that this isn’t a freaking daydream again and that we are really about to make out on our couch,” he replied.

Lips curled into a smug smile in his peripheral. “So this is where this is headed?”

“Just do it ple- ouch!” He felt the pinch on his forearm.

“There, satisfied?” He got another smug smile from the other.

“You didn’t have to do it so h-“ he started, but what cut off mid-answer.

“Oh, for Christ’s sake!”

A pair of lips downed on his and he was silenced into a hurried, but passionate kiss. The feeling of finally kissing Atem was almost overwhelming and he tasted the other fully, flicking his tongue against the other’s mouth, and felt it open for him. It was hot, heavy and so satisfying. Atem pulled Yugi with him as he fell back unto the couch, his head landing on one of the throw pillows. His hands quickly worked their way under his shirt and pressed into the skin of his back, making the boy on top of him moaned into the kiss.

Yugi, now kneeling between Atem’s legs, kept a hand on the couch to steady himself, but used his free one to run it down the side of his body and grab one of his thigh, wrapping the leg around him. The action brought their hips closer and Atem bucked under him, his back arching, his throat rumbling for a moan.

Both were startled back into the real world when the buzzer from the door rang loudly in the apartment. Their lips disconnected and Yugi admired the flush on Atem’s face and the glistening on his mouth for a few seconds. “Talk about bad timing, huh?”

“Nah, just consider it an intermission,” the other offered with a smirk.

Yugi rose up from the couch and rearranged his shirt and hair, then bent back down to place a soft kiss on the still seated boy. Atem smiled into the kiss and let his gaze linger on Yugi’s body as he walked over to ring his friends in.

Anzu, Jounouchi and Honda came in, hands filled with pizza boxes, grocery bags full on chips and a case of beer. After taking of her coat, Anzu picked some plates from the kitchen and started setting all their food on the coffee table in the living room. Atem got up to help her and he noticed her stopping for a second than smiling at him, knowingly. He was about to ask her why when Yugi handed him a beer, and Jou right behind him almost spat his first sip. Tristan, who was coming back from the hallway, also looked at Atem and whistled.

“Wow, that is some nice hickey you got there!”

His hand instantly went to his neck, and he looked at Yugi brieflty, who was now sporting a very serious blush.

“Wait a- were you two just making out?!” Jounouchi deadpanned, eyeing them suspiciously.

“Yes?” Atem answered.

“No!” Yugi blurted at the same time.

Jou dramatically motioned to the couch in big gestures. “Geez guys, now we gotta sit on that couch and think about that all evening!”

Tristan did not waste a second before sitting on the aforementioned couch. “No, we don’t. I, for one, am not going to picture that in my head, thank you very much!”

“I don’t mind picturing it,” Anzu said, matter-of-factly.

Yugi facepalmed, Atem was the one reddening this time and Jou just started at her, eyes bugging out and really spat his second gulp of beer this time.


	16. Loyalty

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yes, I manage to finish this one today too, so you get two new stories today!  
> Okay, so the word prompt is loosely used here, but hey, who cares when you get puzzleshipping fluff hihi  
> "Loyalty is the quality of staying firm in your friendship or support for someone or something."  
> In which Yugi is very loyal to his new coffee routine.  
> This is to all the coffee lovers out there!  
> Enjoy!

_“Good morning and welcome to Morning Fix, may I take your order?”_

Yugi smiled at the familiar voice.

“Good morning to you too, I’ll have a tall regular with milk and a pastry of your choice please!”

He thought he could hear the smile in the response.

_“Feeling more chocolate or raspberry this morning?”_

Yugi laughed and answered. “Actually, still feeling very tired, but that coffee will partially fix it.”

And there it was. A low, slightly shy laugh from the other.

_“Alright, coming right up.”_

He drove all the way to the drive-through window and waited for it to open. On the other side was a familiar bronzed boy with blonde hair, a nametag reading Marik. He took his change and exchanged it for a cup of freshly-brewed coffee and a pastry in a paper bag. On the coffee cup lid, there was a smiley face drawn next to the words _Happy fix!_

“Thank you!” he said as he was handed his items.

In the background, a mope of black, red and blonde hair bobbed into his view and an irresistible smile lit up another caramel skinned face.

“You are very welcome!” the barista in the back replied.

And that just made Yugi’s day, whatever the rest of it looked like did not matter.

***

The routine had started one morning when his coffee maker had suddenly gave up on him, and he just knew he could not face a day filled with work without at least a good cup of joe. He had gotten into his car with the intent of finding the nearest place that could help him get his fix, and he had to drive a little further away since the one closest to his place had an awfully long line at the drive-through.

Then, he had found this little gem of a coffee shop with a smaller line due to its location, and he had heard the beautiful baritone voice for the first time.

That’s when Yugi knew he would need his daily dose of coffee with a side of that voice.

At first, their interaction had been courteous and anonymous, until after a few days, the barista had recognized his voice and has asked if he’d like to try one of their sweets for a change. Yugi had accepted, but only if the other would choose it for him. That morning was also the first time he was able to put a face to that wonderful voice.

And boy, what a face!

Yugi had discovered that the barista sported luscious raven and crimson hair, complete with blonde side bangs framing what he though was the most handsome pair of scarlet eyes he had ever seen. His skin looked forever sunkissed, bringing out his eyes even more. And when he had smiled and waved shyly from the background, Yugi knew instantly what it felt like to have a crush on a near stranger.

***

“Are you done with that?” Anzu asked.

She motioned to the now empty coffee cup on the counter. Jounouchi, currently swiping through his phone and leaning against said counter, snorted.

“No, he’s going to stare at it until the day is over and he has to throw it away.”

Yugi didn’t answer right away, tracing the smiley face with his thumb. Then, he sighed. “This is ridiculous, I feel like a high schooler all over again.”

Anzu patted his head, sympathetically. “You should maybe learn his name, which would be a good start.”

He rested his chin on his hands, thoughtfully. “I just get too flustered, like I don’t know how to fit the question in the conversation.”

“Then stop thinking about it and just go for it,” Jou offered.

***

_“Good morning and welcome to Morning Fix, may I take your order?”_

His heartbeat sped up at the sound of the voice. He reminded himself of Jounouchi’s words, and maybe it was the lack of sleep that trumped his nervousness, but he almost couldn’t believe the words that came out of his mouth next.

“Good morning again! I feel that by now I should start greeting you with your name, would make sense, no? Can’t keep calling you stranger forever.”

Woah, where had that come from?! Yugi facepalmed, knowing the other couldn’t see it. There was a very short pause on the end of the terminal.

 _“Yeah, you're right, especially if you plan on coming here forever as you said_ ,” the barista answered in a playful tone. _“So let me start over. Good morning and welcome to Morning Fix. This is Atem. I’m guessing you’ll take the usual, soon-to-be-not-stranger?”_

Yugi took a moment and let the fact register that the other was also asking for his name.

“Yes, as usual. And that would be Yugi to you now.”

When Marik handed him his cup, it was written _Happy Fix, Yugi_! still with that smiley face next to it, and the smile that Atem had given him from the background seemed even brighter then before.

***

“If you start doodling your name and his in little hearts, I swear I’m gonna puke from the over sweetness!”

Yugi was picking at the almonds on the top of his croissant, totally ignoring his best friend, favouring his little cloud of infatuation at the moment. This morning, Atem had surprisingly been the one handing him his order instead of Marik and he had gotten to see those beautiful eyes closer than ever before.

Their conversations over the drive-through terminal were never really long, but on some slower mornings, they would take the time to make a joke or two, or even dive into not-so-small talk. Along their short exchanges, Yugi had discovered that they both shared not only a fondness for coffee, but also games, cats and surprisingly b-rated horror movies.

“I’m not going to do that. I just…” he started.

Jounouchi put his phone in his pocket and looked straight into Yugi’s eyes.

“You just what?” he asked.

Yugi turned away from the inquisitive gaze. “I wish I had your forwardness about things.”

Jou smirked. “Well, you can’t be all like me. But from the way I see it when you talk about him, I think he might be interested to. If those interactions you have with him aren’t close to flirting, that I don’t know what flirting is.”

Yugi looked at the other, hopeful. “Maybe you’re right. Maybe I should...” he trailed.

The blond bumped shoulders with him “Yeah, you should.”

***

_“So anything else you need on this fine morning, Yugi?”_

Yugi took a very deep breath and thought on how he could casually get more out of his interactions with Atem. Anything else he needed? A phone number? A date? A kiss?

Woah, that escalated quickly.

 _“Yugi?”_ said the voice through the terminal, a mix of worry and, wait… was that hope?

The boy in the car shook his head, momentarily forgetting the other couldn’t see it. “No, that will be all, thanks.”

There was a pause and then Atem spoke up again.

_“You know, I’m off tomorrow, and I noticed you usually don’t come on Mondays.”_

He blinked in surprise. “Okay, well, I’ll see you again Tuesday than,” he answered casually before noticing a car behind him in the line and driving forward. When he arrived at the window, Marik eyed him suspiciously for a moment before taking his money. Yugi tried to spot Atem in the background like every morning, but he saw the other barely sparing a glance his way before turning away. He felt a pinch in his heart, but could not stay longer unless he wanted to anger the driver behind him. He left the parking lot and started driving away when the words Atem last spoke finally sank in.

Crap, he was so dumb!

He quickly made a u-turn and headed back to Morning Fix, but this time, opting to park his car instead of heading to the drive-through. There were only a few people inside and he spotted Atem behind the counter easily. He was ringing the previous customer’s order in, and when his eyes drifted his way, he almost dropped her cup.

Yugi walked up and waited for the customer in front of him to complete her order. He fidgeted nervously, hands in his pockets. When she side-stepped to wait for her coffee, he closed the gap between himself and the counter.

“Hi” he said in a short breath.

He could see Atem swallowing before answering. “Hey.”

Before he could stop it, the flow of words came out rapidly of Yugi’s mouth. “So, I don’t know if I’m misinterpreting the situation here, but since we’re both free tomorrow it seems, I was wondering if maybe you’d like to just… go out? I mean, I hope I’m not being too forward or anything, I just assumed that maybe this was heading this way or I don’t know. Maybe this is a mistake, but I’m just throwing it out there. And I just-“

He yelped as fingers wrapped around his loosened tie and pulled him forward. Soft lips met his in a chaste kiss, and then Atem pulled back slowly.

“You can breathe now,” he answered with a smile. “And yes, I’d love to go out with you tomorrow.”

Yugi felt himself melting into a puddle of goo, but not before giving the boy in front of him another quick kiss.

“Then I believe I’m going to be needed something else this morning,” he offered, almost cocky.

“What else can I get you?” Atem asked, still beaming from the turn of events.

“Your phone number,” he replied with the brightest smile that he could give the barista.

Whatever Jounouchi could say later, Yugi would probably end up doodling his and Atem’s names in little hearts all day until tomorrow.


	17. Temple

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Once again, played with the meaning of the prompt.  
> No one said that temple had to be a building/shrine/thingamabob :)
> 
> We are past the half-way point of PuzzleJune and I'm just enjoying this way too much!
> 
> BTW, you wanna talk? Find me on Tumblr: https://xauroraxborealisx.tumblr.com/  
> Anything really, I'll be happy to reply!

Atem opened his eyes, and his vision was clearly unfocused, and was not getting better with the passing seconds. He closed them again.

He felt what he believed was grass beneath his fingers as he tried to get a grasp of something, anything. He could hear things, but not quite make out anything clearly, everything was buzzing around him. Something soft grazed his forehead and then pried his eyes open, one at a time. A bright light made him cringe, bringing him a bit closer back to reality.

Then the pain in his temple registered.

One of his hands tried to reach for his head, but it was stopped in its motion.

“Don’t move, not for now,” a voice ordered.

Sounds and sensations started crawling back into him. There were voices in the background, some filled with worry, others with the urgency to give him some room. The heat from the high noon sun warmed his face, and there was the distinctive smell of grass and sweat all around him, and something else, like sweeter.

And he was lying in the middle of it all.

“Alright, Ishtar, I’m going to need your help to move him, but first we have to get him to sit very slowly,” the voice spoke again.

Two pairs of arms cradled him, a steady hand on his neck making sure his head did not wobble. He tried to open his eyes again, but a wave of dizziness hit him and he chocked out a labored breath.

“Take it easy, man,” said his friend Marik. Now, that voice, he recognized.

He took in a few small breaths, steadying the rhythm, but also the nausea that had hit. When he felt slightly more stable, he opened up his mouth for the first time.

“What happened?”

His short-term memory was hazy at best, but he could remember getting up this morning and getting ready for the company volleyball tournament held at their local park. Their branch team had literally dominated the field, their training efforts finally paying off. And then…

“Who knew Hiroto could have such a good arm, but such poor aim?” Marik explained. “The ball went right to your head like it was deliberate, and man, I thought for sure your neck was going to snap from the impact. You’re lucky to be conscious if you ask me…”

“Not helping, Ishtar!”

Finally feeling his stomach settled, Atem risk an eye open and looked at the source of the other voice. Two large violet eyes looking at him with worry met his. He felt his heart thumping faster.

Right next to him, helping him sit up after he must have looked like a complete idiot was Yugi Mutou, the new I.T. guy from their department, who he had been crushing on ever since he had laid eyes on him three months ago. It took him a few seconds to register that his mouth was moving and was waiting for an answer.

“Sorry.. wha?” Atem pondered.

Yugi smiled brieftly at him. “I asked if you were feeling steady enough to try to get up so we move you from the field.”

Atem was about to nod his consent, but thought better and let out a short “yes” before feeling both Yugi and Marik lift him up slowly and supporting most of his weight. His focused his gaze on the ground in front of him to make sure things didn’t start spinning too much around him. The pain in his temple was pulsing and he felt a sting close to it.

“Is it bleeding?” he asked.

He heard Marik open his mouth to talk, but the other man supporting him must have sent him a pretty powerful stare because he closed it with a snap.

“Not much…” Yugi replied.

He immediately knew he was lessening the blow as his eyes darted to his own clothes, stained from the grass and sweat, but, in his peripheral he also noted the distinguishable red of blood near the collar of his shirt. He groaned in annoyance.

They led him to a nearby tent that had been set up for emergencies like this and sat him down on a camping style cot.

“You can go,” Yugi motioned to Marik. “I’ll take care of it from here, thanks.”

He then sat on a metal folding chair next to the cot Atem was sitting on. He took a first aid kit from an adjacent table and set it on his lap. He took out a few antibacterial wipes individually wrapped and tore one of them open.

“Alright, let’s clean this up and see what it looks like…”

Atem felt the cold against his temple and winced. But the touch was gentle enough to not cause any other pain than the one already present. He let Yugi clean up his wound, and probably some dried blood along his cheek, ear and neck. He didn’t move an inch, instead choosing to focus on the beautiful face so close to his, his brows furrowed in concentration.

“You’ve trained in first aid?” he said, trying to make casual conversation while the other worked.

There was a hint of a smile in all that focus. “Yes, I certify my training every two years just to be up to date. That’s why they asked me to help out today.”

“Well, aren’t you the perfect nurse?” Atem joked, but flinched when the wipe traced the wound on his head.

Yugi stick his tongue at him before responding: “Not going to wear a trashy uniform for you, though.” He was finished cleaning the skin it seems as he took out a cotton swab and a small tube of ointment, pressing some of it on the tip of the swab than carefully dabbing it on what Atem assumed to be the cut on the side of his head. He then completed the job with two butterfly closures, being very careful not to press to hard on the tender skin.

“There, that should do it,” the barely shorter boy smiled sweetly. “Oh, and before I forget…” he took out an instant ice pack and broke it to activate its content before handing to Atem. “Keep that on for the next 30 minutes, it should help with the swelling and the throbbing.”

Atem complied with the instructions and grimaced at the cold against his contrasting hot skin. The other put away the first-aid kit and threw the wipes and his gloves into the trash can. He prepared to leave and let the other rest.

“Are you still dizzy? Maybe I should stay to make sure you don’t have a concussion,” he inquired.

Atem shook his head lightly, already feeling better than he had a few minutes ago. “I’m okay, really, thanks.” He waited before smugly adding: “Wanna kiss it better?”

Violet eyes shone briefly as his caretaker chuckled. “Don’t push your luck, Sennen.”

Yugi stood up and walked to the opening of the tent, but seemed to hesitate there for a moment. Swiftly, he let go of the flap and turned around to step back closer to Atem. He took the hand holding the ice pack, pulled it away from his face and bent just low enough to press the gentlest of kisses on his temple. Too stunned, Atem could only stare at him with wide eyes.

Before closing the flap behind him, Yugi looked at him, a very light blush high on his cheekbones. “Put the ice back on, I’ll be back in thirty to take you home.”

Then he was gone, leaving Atem to slowly replace the cold packet next to his face almost mechanically.

“Woah…” he whispered.


	18. Sakura

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Honestly, I took me forever to write this short piece. I changed my mind four times about the use of the prompt.  
> This might even be too sweet for my usual taste haha!  
> Enjoy!

Yugi sighs again, a light spring breeze coming through the ajar window. He tries for the hundredth time to focus on his essay due in two days, sitting at a library table, with books and paper surrounding him.

However, his mind is so far away from the intricacies of this dreaded philosophy piece. He bangs his head against the hard wood of the table and closes his eyes, drifting to the feelings of soft lips pressed to his. His fingers reached for his own lips and touches them, still in awe of what had happened this morning.

He draws his fingers back quickly and shakes his head. No, he has to focus. He does not even know what the kiss meant, it had been so brief and out of context… and yet, it makes his stomach churn just thinking about it, how for a second, he had been close enough for the other to actually kiss him.

***

Atem Sennen is not in his class, although he had been two years ago. He tops every scoreboard, has the highest grades amongst all their peers, he even makes Anzu angry because of it. Teachers praise him, girls swoon over him and even some guys try their luck. He may look like he could not care less about anyone's affections, but he politely refuses everyone without a fuss.

He eats every meal with his groups of misfit friends, ranging from the smug Marik who cannot obey the dress code to save his life to the rage-prone Bakura who could kill you with one look, they say. No one knows how their group works together, but it does.

When he comes into to the school every morning and changes his outdoors shoes to his school ones, he bids Yugi good morning and asks him how he is. At first, Yugi is surprised, but he indulges in the conversation, and every morning, it gets a little bit longer. Some days, they even walk out together to the gates before parting ways to respectively walk their own way home.

They keep their friends separated, but that little budding friendship between them is something Yugi learns to love and look forward too. They bond over their love of games as their interactions starts including small talk in the corridors and waves of hello when they see each other.

It has always been like this between them, just casual, and Yugi is okay with it. Until it changes unexpectedly. Atem starts building up a distance between them, shortens their interactions with excuses and does not linger in corridors anymore to catch him between classes. He still waves and smiles, but it does not always reach his eyes.

Yugi, being the sweetheart that he is, does not mention it and simply starts to accept that maybe their friendship was not as present as he thought it was. He chooses to focus on the rest, still getting well above-average grades and earning the respect of his teachers and friends with his kindness. Anzu notices the slight change in Yugi, but is happy to see that whatever seems to bother him does not affect him too much.

And that’s how things are. Or how they were until today.

***

There is nothing special about today, really. It’s the beginning of spring, April already almost rolling into double digits. Yugi does not know why specifically, but he does not appreciate the beauty of the cherry blossom petals twirling around as much today. Maybe because they keep sticking into his hair, and soon, he will look like a very weird Christmas tree if it does not stop.

He arrives at school, barely a few minutes before the first bell and hurries to change his shoes. He catches a glimpse of Atem right as he enters the room. The other glances up and looks at him, almost stunned. He stops tying his shoe for a second, before swiftly turning his gaze back to the ground and Yugi notices his fingers fumbling with his shoelace.

“Good morning,” Yugi murmurs as if an afterthought.

For a moment, he thinks Atem might ignore the greeting but he hears the soft reply, and smiles. He does not want to push his luck, so he does not add anything. He slips on his shoes and is about to leave for class when it happens.

He bumps into the other awkwardly and his arm is caught in midair as he loses his balance. His eyes meet the deep crimson staring back at him. The hand on his arm flexes nervously and eventually let go. The eyes dart to something on his head and a hand plucks a tiny cherry blossom petal, bringing into their peripheral. Yugi huffs in annoyance, stupid cherry blossom petal again.

He opens his mouth to thank the other, but stops abruptly as fingers delicately lift his chin and warm lips softly meet his own, so briefly, that for a second, Yugi wonders if this is really happening.

As quickly as it happened, the fingers and lips leave his face and Atem is gone.

Yugi ponders about it for the remaining of the day.

Atem is still there in the background, acting as if nothing happened.

But the tiniest blush appears on his face the one time their eyes meet during lunch time.

***

Yugi picks up his material and fills his book bag. A tiny part of him hopes Atem happens to be changing his shoes at the same time again. He does not necessarily expect a full-on explanation, but he just needs to know if he had somehow imagined what had happened this morning. No such luck. Atem’s shoes are already switched and there seems to be no sign of the other anywhere around.

Yugi sits on the floor, trying to regain his senses. Maybe he should not dwell on it too much, maybe it had just been a spur of the moment thing and Atem deeply regretted it, hence his behaviour today. A strong knot ties itself at the bottom of his stomach at the thought.

He waits for almost everyone to be gone, for things to calm down. He even tells his friends to go on without him, he finds an excuse to stay behind. He wants to be alone, just this one time. He heads out and, when he finally finds it in himself to lift his gaze from the ground, he finds a boy with bronze skin waiting by the gates. He stops walking.

Atem spots him, but does not move from his position, choosing to reposition his book bag on his shoulder instead.

The wind blows a few cherry blossoms petals up from the ground in between them.

“Can I walk you home?”

It is question, a request, filled with hope. Yugi blinks a couple of times, letting it sink it before answering.

“Yes.”

They stride along, side by side, towards their destination. They are close enough, but they do not talk. Then Atem’s knuckles grazed the back of Yugi’s hand hesitantly. The lavender-eyed boy instinctively reacts and turns his palm towards him, open for the other to take his hand. And he does gently. Yugi intertwines their fingers.

Later, they will talk.

But right now, this is enough.


	19. Transcend

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> "Music transcends words. By exchanging notes, you get to know one another, to understand one another. As if your souls were connected and your hearts were overlapping. It's a conversation through instruments. A miracle that creates harmony. In that moment, music transcends words." (Unattributed)  
> Canon-compliant, can be seen as a follow-up to Ambition and Drowning.
> 
> Yeah, two chapters in one day! Enjoy!

Yami wondered why he never noticed it before.

Probably because it was covered with clothes to use as extra storage space, but upon closer examination while letting his gaze drift around the room, he saw it, almost purposely hidden from view. He did not quite know why, but he felt intrigued by its presence in the apartment.

“Yugi, why is there a piano in the living room?”

As they sat on the floor of Yugi’s soul room, back to back, head leaning on each other’s shoulder and fingers from one hand laced together, Yami just spurted out the question, breaking the comfortable silence they had been sharing. Yugi’s head lifted from his shoulder, turning his head to get a better look at his inquisitive other.

“My mom used to play. She even taught how.”

Yami changed their position so that he was now facing his partner. “You play?”

“Haven’t in a long time though,” Yugi replied, blushing in embarrassment. Then he seemed to realize something and his eyes lit up like Christmas lights. “Hey, you’ve never really experience music before, right?”

The spirit pondered and blinked a few times. True that he had never taken the time to actually listen or discover music. He had heard beats of the different videogames that Yugi played with is friends, or from the times they had been in an arcade. He had heard tunes Anzu practiced her dancing to, jingles from TV commercials.

But listening to music just to understand it?

Before he could answer, Yugi squeezed his hand and smiled brightly. “Just stay here and wait.” And he slowly faded from the soul room.

It only took a few minutes before he sensed a change in the atmosphere of the room and he noticed his ears filling with an unknown melody. Yugi reappeared shortly after.

“I just had to find my old mp3 player and set it on the right playlist, tuck myself in for a good night, you know.” He settled back down, but this time, opting to lay down on the floor. He patted next to him, inviting Yami to take the spot right next to him. “We’ll start with something soft, wouldn’t want to burn your ears from the start.”

The other joined him, taking a position close to him and putting his hand back into his, needing not only the comfort of the proximity of his partner, but his constant touch when they were in their soul rooms.

“Now, close your eyes, Other Me, and just… listen.”

Yami obliged him and focused on the gentle assault on his sense. The heat of Yugi’s hand in his, both of their even breathings, the tranquility of his partner’s room compared to his…

And the music, songs filling the space and making pictures come to life behind his closed eyelids.

This moment, right there, was near perfect, he thought.

***

The next few nights, Yugi changed the playlist, making him experience various types of music, bringing out different emotions in him. He could declare he liked some less than the others, but it was all so new and magic to him.

On the fourth night, Yugi had chosen a selection of instrumental pieces he liked, mostly focusing on piano, ranging from what appeared to be very intricate and fast solos to simpler acoustic tunes. During one particular song, he pressed tighter on Yami’s hand.

“My mom taught me that song once. It took me weeks to get it right, but I was so proud. And then right after that, Dad left. He was already gone if you ask me, but he just confirmed it. And Mom just stopped teaching me, the piano gathered dust. It’s been like that for six years now.”

Yami did not say anything, just held the other’s hand tighter too in response.

***

“Would you play for me, Partner?”

Yami could feel the hesitation through their link. He had waited a few days before asking, but his curiosity and the other’s melancholic feelings over those last days had been enough to push the question out of him. He hoped he hadn’t crossed a line because Yugi still was not answering him.

As he watched through the eyes of the other moving around, he could see they were heading towards the corner of the living room where the piano was still drowning. He sensed the nervousness as Yugi unpiled clothes from the instrument and passed a hand in the dust covering the protective cover. He unzipped it and set it aside, eyes scanning the room for a seat. He opted to take one of the chairs from around the kitchen table.

For what seemed like an hour, he just sat there, staring at the black and white keys. Mechanically, he checked the pedals, adjusted the volume, sounded a few keys, but as his fingers placed themselves in a familiar position, he hesitated. Yami sent a wave of support through their link and imagined himself placing his own hands over Yugi’s, encouraging him to press down, calming their jitteriness.

The melody that came out of the instrument was even more beautiful than what they had listened to. The tempo was slower, but Yami recognized the song. Yugi was bent over the piano in quiet focus, his fingers dancing on the keyboard gracefully. This was a very different focus than the one he was used to see when his partner was duelling, but it was as magnetizing if not more. He felt the rhythm of the fingers through Yugi’s movements, their rehearsed steps creating a pattern of passion as they cling to the keys sensually.

The moment was over almost too soon. Yugi secured the zipped cover back on the piano, but did not put anything back on it.

***

That night, Yugi played the same playlist again.

As they lay down on the floor of the soul room again, Yami let his fingers runs along Yugi’s skin like the other had on the black and white keys, playing with his touch, pressing and grazing, testing for the different kinds of notes he could get out of him. His mouth swallowed the music made from the gasps and moans through kisses, his tongue swirling like a skilled dancer, leaving his partner panting.

Together, they were creating their own kind of music.

As Yugi came undone under him, whispering his name in between shaky breaths, Yami knew that, to him, there was no sweeter melody than that.


	20. Prophecy

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is rated M for pure smut. Yup, I went there again.  
> This is post DSOD, like established puzzleshipping goodness.  
> Enjoy!  
> P.S. It is very late here and I wanted to post this before going to bed, so sorry if there are flaws! I'll triple check tomorrow!

Yugi was sitting on the couch with a laptop open on his lap when Atem came out of the shower. The lights in the living room were dimmed to create what Yugi called a perfect gaming atmosphere. He was already talking with Jounouchi via his headset. The dark-skinned boy looked at the computer screen, trying to make sense of what he was observing.

“So this is what you’ve been up to for the past few days…”

Yugi turned his head his way and smiled.

“Don’t be jealous, this is really fun,” he said.

Atem took a seat next to him and gestured to the computer.

“Tell me about this new game obsession of yours,” he replied.

“It’s not an obsession!” Yugi puffed. Okay, so maybe he has been playing every night for the past week. “It’s just something we’ve been trial-running Jou and I, and we kind of got caught into it.”

“Partner, you are getting side-tracked again. Just tell me about it,” the other encouraged.

“Okay, so it’s called Prophecy. It’s a battle simulation game, you build up a team of champions and have them battle against other teams.” Yugi started talked animatedly. “But what makes this one really interesting is that you get to choose gods of different pantheons as your champions, and then equip them with artefacts and such, but the mythological aspect is what really drew me to it.”

At the mention of different patheons, Atem’s eyes lit up. “I’m guessing you have access to the Egyptian Gods then?”

Yugi smiled back. “Exactly my point, which is why I think you would like it too! I could easily set you up with an account and we could battle, like dueling each other, but in a different way!”

The other seemed to hesitate for a moment, but let go after a few seconds. “Alright, show me!”

The violet-eyed boy beamed and put his headset back on, adjusting his microphone. “Hey Jou, you there? We’ll do a battle run to show Atem how it’s done!”

He then opened up the game menu and started showing the different characters to Atem, explaining the mechanics of the game and watching as the enthusiasm on his boyfriend’s face grew with each passing minute. He started commenting on the gods he remember from his time, and how they did not look like that at all in his mind, or how some paled in comparison to the real ones he had met in the Afterlife, because yes, he had had that chance.

But one of the comments really caught Yugi off-guard.

“For Ra’s sake, why did they dress Hathor up like that?!” he exclaimed. “I mean, how is that even supposed to be considered armour?”

Yugi fought back a need to laugh at his boyfriend’s lack of popular videogame knowledge. “For some odd reason, videogame designers believe women’s armours should look more sexy than protective…”

“It barely covers anything, it’s not even practical! And not representative of real Egyptian garb!”

Suddenly, Yugi was watching Atem, but he was not seeing him; instead, he was staring at the Pharaoh in his royal outfit, crown adoring his head, long golden earrings, white tunic and long purple cape draping his shoulders. His skin contrasted beautifully against the gold of his large collar, as well as his armbands and bracers. The boy could sense his cheeks heating up at the memory and was having a time keeping a straight face. He imagined his hands running down those sculpted arms, feeling the heat of the skin and then driving his hands down those thighs and pushing up the hem of tunic as they went higher.

“If only…” he whispered.

“What?” he heard both from Atem and Jou at the same time.

Wine-coloured irises were looking into his quizzically. Yugi could only stare back as he came crashing back into reality and bit his lower lip.

“Jou, let’s call it a night, I’ll talk to you later,” he said before taking off his headset again and setting his computer on the coffee table, surprising Atem by the sudden action.

“Partner, what are you…?”

“Sometimes, I wish I had been able to meet you as the Pharaoh,” Yugi cut him, angling his body towards him.

For a second, the statement took Atem aback, and he could not come up with a proper response immediately.

“You know, just being a part of the court and everything, watching you be all mighty and godsend.”

The Egyptian’s face instantly turned a shade darker at the comment. Taking his opportunity, Yugi straddled Atem lap in a swift movement and brought his arms on the back on the couch to balance himself. He leaned down and brought his lips an inch away from the other’s ear.

“I could have been just there, and you somehow noticed me and picked me out from the crowd,” he started. “You could have asked one of your council members to seek me out and demand that I meet you in your chambers. And who could I be to refuse?”

He felt the other shudder under him and was satisfied with the effect his words were having on his boyfriend. He took the earlobe between his teeth and lightly bit down on it, earning a profound gulp.

“And you would be there, waiting for me, sitting on your bed, in all your glory, looking all handsome in your airy tunic and that cape, looking at me with hungry eyes.”

Yugi gasped as he felt one of Atem’s hand grip his waist and pulling him sharply against him, forcing him to look into lust filled eyes with the other hand tugging his chin.

“How could I not, with you showing those legs and arms so casually, as if you didn’t know how gorgeous you are?”

Maintaining their eye contact, Yugi swallowed, his lips a breath away from the others’. “My Pharaoh, what is it that you need from me?”

The hand under his chin brought their lips closer and Yugi shivered with the anticipation of the kiss, but it did not happen. He felt the other speak the words against his lips.

“Undress for me.”

There was something demanding in his tone that sent a jolt of electricity down Yugi’s spine. Making sure to pull away slowly while keeping their eyes locked, Yugi stood up from Atem’s lap and his hands reached the hem of the t-shirt he was wearing, pulling it over his head in an unhurried fashion, letting it drop to the ground next to him. As he reach for the button of his jeans, a hand stop him.

“Not now. Come closer.”

Yugi obeyed and the pair of hands were back on his body, antagonizing him with the slow and soft strokes on his sides, as they reach for his nipples, thumbs brushing on the already erect nubs. Yugi’s breath hitched as lips started leaving fluttering kisses near his hipbones and, instinctively, his hands went to the other’s head, wishing nothing more than to run his fingers into the hair. His wrists were caught mid-motion, stopping the caresses on his upper body.

“Who gave you the permission to touch me?”

The comment automatically brought a blush to Yugi’s cheek, as well as a rush of blood to his groin. The hands holding his wrist brought them back firmly to his sides. They were then left alone as the hands returned their assault to his torso, this time rubbing his nipples between agile fingers as Atem’s tongue licked its way to his belly button. He flexed his fingers nervously, unable to keep still as his breath started coming out in shallow pants.

After a few minutes, deeming they had done their job on his nipples, the hands slid back down to grab his butt, slipping inside his pants, grasping the flesh directly. Yugi groaned into the touch and reeled as teeth nibbled at one of his already sensitive nipple.

“Please,” he whimpered.

“Please what, my sweet?” Atem asked, flicking his tongue against the nub.

“May I touch you, please?”

The bronzed boy smirked as he pulled away from the other. “Patience, sweetness. All in due time.” He then worked on the button of his jeans and, in one single motion, brought both pants and boxers down, exposing Yugi’s very present arousal.

“Now that is a sight for sore eyes, you are already weeping for me.”

Those words almost drove Yugi straight to the edge. He was not prepared for the feelins of lips wrapping around his length so quickly and he threw his head back, his hand automatically coming to his mouth to silence the loud moan trying to escape from there. Atem took his time working him and Yugi felt his knees would not support him very much longer. His fingers now itched desperately to touch the other, even if just barely.

“Please,” he begged again. “I just… May I touch you now?”

Atem’s mouth let go of him for a moment, but his hand kept the motion going while he look at the other with clouded eyes. “You may, my sweet, but only if you look at me.”

Yugi sighed in ecstasy as he finally felt the other beneath his trembling fingers. The Egyptian went back to work and made sure to check the other was looking at him while he was pleasuring him. Yugi felt himself coming quickly and his nails dug as delicately as he could into the other’s scalp.

“Atem…” he whispered, barely able to control his breathing anymore.

The other boy did not let go and continue his ministrations until he sensed Yugi’s release, and held him as he felt the shudder of his orgasm rock through his body. He pulled his lips away, licking them. Yugi fell forward, holding onto Atem’s shoulder for support, breathing heavy.

“You have some nerve using my given name, sweetness.”

The words followed by a chuckle brought Yugi down from his cloud and back into the arms of the man in front of him. Atem was inching his pants right back to his hips and zipping them up. He stood, still supporting his shaky boyfriend.

“Now, let’s teach you some manners, shall we?”

His lips descended on Yugi in a commanding kiss before he dragged him to their bedroom.

On the forgotten computer screen, a single line popped up in a chat window.

_Jesus Christ Yugi, close your fucking mic next time!_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The game Prophecy used in this is a real actual game as described.  
> When in doubt, google the word prompt and see what you get ;)


	21. Pressure

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I really love coffee.  
> Sequel to Day 5: Lucky, dedicated to [empressofthelight](https://archiveofourown.org/users/empressofthelight) who liked the first part so much that I decided to write this.  
> Did I mention my love for Jou? I just love the guy!  
> Enjoy!

Yugi had been staring at it for the past twenty minutes. He still had not touch it yet, just tilting his head in different directions to observe it. In his hands was a thick booklet that he had tried opening and reading at least five times before setting it down on the counter.

“Remind me again why we need to switch coffee makers?”

Jounouchi, who was standing right next to him, looking as dumbfounded as he was, sighed.

“It was a gift, we should just accept it, no?”

Yugi poked at the fancy coffee maker now adoring their kitchen counter, next to a more regular and basic looking one, the one they both had used for the past two years.

“But what’s wrong with the old one?” he said, still debating whether to just give up and start making his evening coffee the old-fashioned way.

“Seto won’t set foot in the apartment if I can’t serve him what he deems to be a _correct_ coffee…” Jou replied, arms crossed, still staring at the machine as if it would magically set itself on its own.

“And he had to give you the most expensive and complicated one of the cappuccino-thingy-machine on the market to achieve that goal?” the other inquired while opening the lid on the top, wondering if this was where the water was supposed to go.

“Seto always has to get the most expensive thing, it’s his personal kink!” Jou offered, taking the instructions manual and opening it, just to shake his head in refusal and setting in back where it was seconds ago. “Jesus Christ, this is more complicated than AP Physics…”

Yugi turned his gaze away from the machine and raised an eyebrow at him. “You never even took AP Physics…”

“Exactly why! Just had to look at your manuals to know I didn’t want to go near anything that complicated.” As he answered, he left the kitchen area to go to his bedroom. “Forget it, I’m going to his place tonight! He can make his own damn freaking coffee for all I care!”

Yugi whined from the kitchen. “What about my coffee needs?”

“Just use to old one for now, Yug! We’ll figure this monster another day!” he heard from the bedroom. Then Jou poked his head while he was changing his t-shirt. “Or you could go ask Atem to make you a cup,” he proposed, wiggling his eyebrows suggestively.

The comment brought a blush to Yugi’s cheeks immediately. “Like hell, I’m not. I’ll probably do something stupid again…” he said, thinking about the one time he had tried greeting him in the corridor and had grunted out a weird mix of good morning and hello at the same time.

Atem had laughed it off and waved his way, before both had taken the elevator down to the main floor to leave for their respective jobs. It wasn’t like they had not talk after that morning where Yugi had discovered the existence of his very handsome floor neighbour, but every time he tried to move the conversation past small talk, he would lose all his wits looking into Atem’s gorgeous wine-coloured eyes. And then make an excuse to check his phone or something, anything to take his mind off of the beautiful specimen of man close to him.

Jou moved from his bedroom to the hallway and set on slipping his shoes. “Come on, Yugi! You have got to make a move on the man eventually! You can’t keep denying yourself forever!”

A slipper pants right passed right by his face, hitting the door. “I can do whatever the hell I want, Jounouchi Katsuya! You stay out of my love life!”

The blonde looked smugly at him. “You mean the lack of it?”

He dove from the other slipper aimed at his head, and headed out muttering a quick bye, before leaving his now embarrassed roommate alone in the apartment.

Yugi walked back into the kitchen, intending on plugging back his old coffee maker in order to satisfy his craving. He took out the glass jar that Atem had filled for him that morning a month ago. He had forbidden Jou from drinking this coffee, first and foremost because it was a reminder of their first meeting, but also because it was a hell of a good coffee blend. He always forgot to ask Atem where he had gotten it when they talked. He seemed to forget a lot of things when Atem was around.

The coffee dripping brought him a sense of comfort instantly, but it was broken by a knock on his door.

“Just a second…” he said as he closed the distance between the kitchen and the door.

He quickly forgot how to breathe when he noticed who was on the other side.

“Hey neighbour!”

Atem was not wearing Kuribo pyjama pants this time, but it might as well have been in Yugi’s mind. He had on a pair of dark cherry red flannel pants and a white t-shirt contrasting with that bronze skin, his hair in that relaxed ponytail Yugi had seen that morning too.

And Yugi wanted to undress him, like right now.

“H-Hi!” he replied, pushing his dirty thoughts in the back of his mind.

Atem raised a metal canister to their eye-level sheepishly. “I’m the one in need tonight. Mind hooking me up?”

Yugi smiled back at him. “Come in, I just made a fresh pot if you’d rather have your fix now. I have enough for two.” It then dawned on him that his mouth had spoken faster than his mind.

_Oh crap, did you just invite him in?! Please say no, please no!_

“Wow, that would be great, thanks! Hope you don’t mind the company!” Atem replied as he closed the door behind him.

Yugi mentally facepalmed. How was he supposed to act casual when Atem was coming into his apartment, alone, in pyjamas? He took out two mugs and set them on the counter before filling them up with coffee.

“Are you trying to up your coffee game?” Atem asked.

Yugi turned his way, blinking.

“What?”

The other motioned to the newly placed modern coffee maker on the counter, currently abandoned.

Yugi replaced the coffee pot on the machine’s heater. “Yeah, not exactly. Long story… Milk, sugar?”

“Just milk, please,” his neighbour replied as he approached the machine. “Wow, this is like the Cadillac of coffee machine! I could never afford that, not that I’d want to spend so much money on it…” he whistled.

“Yeah, we didn’t buy it. My roommate’s boyfriend insisted on gifting it to us, he’s an ass about the way he likes his coffee apparently,” Yugi explained as he poured milk into both his mug and Atem’s.

“It makes a mean expresso though,” the dark-skinned boy remarked.

Yugi offered him his mug when what the other said registered in his mind. “Wait, you know how it works?!”

Atem laughed lightly, a sound Yugi could get addicted to if he was not careful. “Well, it’s pretty similar to the ones we had in the shop. College barista, present,” he said while taking his mug from the other.

At that mention, Yugi’s eyes went wide with curiosity. “So you’ve work in a coffee shop and you still go for plain old regular drip coffee?”

Atem just shrugged and took a sip from his mug, the taste of his drink bringing a soft smile to his features. “What can I say? I’m a plain old regular kind of coffee drinker.”

Yugi thought Atem was anything but plain, old and regular. He tried to hide what he felt was a blush coming behind his mug as he took a long sip from his coffee.

“Want me to show you?” Atem offered.

Yugi swallowed fast and almost choked on his sip. “Show me what?” His mind was going back to those dirty thoughts he kept pushing back.

Atem set his mug on the counter and plugged the offendingly fancy coffee maker into the power outlet. “How to make a mean espresso or whatever you want to try,” he completed with a wink in Yugi’s direction.

Yugi hid behind his mug again, hoping his blush could be perceived as embarrassment and not as the result of his infatuation for his neighbour, now currently in his kitchen. He laughed nervously to try and ease his mind and nodded. “Yes, oh god yes, please!”

Atem set to work at prepping the machine, filling up the right gap with enough water and letting it heat up. He unclicked the coffee recipient as he had done many times before and darted his eyes, looking for something.

“Hum, did the guy who bought this happen to give you the correct coffee grind for it?”

Yugi opened up one of the cabinets and took an expensive looking bag of coffee. “I take it you mean this?” He handed the bag to the former barista.

“Ah perfect!” he beamed. “Damn, that is really good coffee! Could you take out the milk also? You seem more like a cappuccino kind of guy, so I’ll at least make something you’d enjoy.”

Yugi was stunned for a moment. True he did not care for the strong bitterness and tar-like texture of espresso and preferred his coffee with milk, but he was surprised by the fact that Atem could tell his preference. “How would you know?”

Atem was filling the portafilter with the finely ground coffee and pressing it firmly into it. “You drink drip coffee with enough 2% milk in it to tell me you would not go for something as tart as espresso, although you might be tempted to try it on for size.” He put the filter back into place with a snap and angled it to the side.

Yugi nodded. “Good observation skill and deduction, Sherlock.”

Atem smirked while he started the machine, a whooshing noise filling the room as thick coffee came out. He then poured milk into a metal container (“the frothing pitcher” as he explained while filling it) and used the steam wand to create the froth that would go over the espresso. Yugi felt like there were so many steps to just getting coffee, but he listened like a good student, mostly because he liked the sound of Atem’s deep voice as he detailed the process.

A steaming mug of aromatic goodness was slipped in front of Yugi. “Here you, sir,” Atem joked. “Tell me what you think.”

Yugi held the mug to his face, looking at it curiously. It was not as if he had never seen one before, but he never went for it on the rare occasions he found himself in a coffee shop. He usually stuck to what he knew, although he had tried various blends of grinds. He brought it to his lips and took a tentative sip.

Well, this sure was different.

“So?”

Yugi swallowed. “Okay, so it’s really, I mean really good! Not saying I’ll switch to cappuccino over drip coffee, but wow!” He took a longer sip this time, appreciating the warm taste of the drink as he swirled it around his mouth.

Atem smiled at him and returned to his own mug of regular coffee. They both sat down on kitchen stools and talked, nursing their respective drinks. Yugi felt at ease this time with Atem, slowly letting his guard down and relaxing instead of thinking too much into it. When they were both done, he brought their mugs to the sink, rinsing them quickly. He noticed the metal canister on the counter, almost forgotten. He picked it up and filled it with the coffee from his own jar. “I’ve been meaning to ask, where do you get your coffee? Because it was really good!” Yugi asked.

The other rested his chin of his hand perched on the counter. “There’s a coffee roasting shop near my work place and I’ve tried a few of their options. I’ll bring you back some, or I could take you if you want.”

Yugi almost dropped the jar from his hand, but caught himself just in time. “S-sure! I’d love that!” Inside, the butterflies fluttering in his stomach were doing a happy dance now. He turned around to hand the canister back to Atem and realized the other was now standing very close to him. Yugi fought back yet another blush, but he was not sure if he was succeeding at it. He scratched the back of his head nervously.

“Here, and thanks for the crash course, although I might need another one before I get the hang of it.”

Yugi swore he saw something pass very quickly in the other’s eyes, but it was gone in an instant. Atem took the jar from him, fingers lightly brushing against his, and the simple touch sent shivers down Yugi’s spine. He barely registered that his neighbour was speaking to him. “I’d better get going, you know, work in the morning.”

“Yeah, work,” Yugi replied mechanically, then shook his head.

They both walked to the apartment’s door and Yugi opened the door for the other, waiting as he let him walk out. “Thanks again for the coffee,” Atem said, pausing right outside.

Yugi smiled, holding the door. “Just returning the favour, neighbour!”

Atem waved as he walked down the corridor to his apartment and Yugi watched him, sighing silently. He went back inside and let his back hit the door as it closed. What the hell was wrong with him? He had spent the whole time wanting to do something, anything, and he had not. When Jounouchi would learn about this, he would tease him for days…

He jumped as a knock echoed behind him. He shifted and opened the door again.

“I forgot something,” Atem simply said as he looked at him with deep crimson eyes.

“Wha-“ Yugi started, his heartbeat picking up fast.

Atem wrapped an arm around his waist as his other hand held the back of his head, softly reaching into his hair, and he pressed their lips together. Yugi blinked then closed his eyes, his hands coming up on the other’s chest as he responsed to the kiss. His neighbour's lips were soft and plump, with a lingering taste of coffee, an addictive combination in Yugi’s opinion. He felt a tongue swiping his own lips and opened them, inviting the other in. The kiss deepened and his fingers curled, grasping Atem’s t-shirt, a tiny moan muffled by their kiss. The arm circling his waist tightened and pushed them closer together.

The kiss eventually slowed down and Atem pulled away softly, opening his eyes, the smile of his lips reaching them. “Goodnight, Yugi,” he whispered.

“Goodnight, Atem,” he returned with his own smile.

***

As Yugi was washing the different parts of the coffee maker, making sure to put them back into their rightful place, Jounouchi walked out of his bedroom, yawning the next morning.

“You figured out how to make it work?” he asked.

Yugi could feel his face and ears heat up. “Yup, I had some help.”

For a moment, Jounouchi was merely observing him and then his eyes went wide. “No!”

“What?” Yugi said innocently.

“You sly beast! What happened? Tell me everything!”

Yugi finished drying the mug and put them away in the cabinet. “There’s nothing to tell. Atem just came over because he was the one coffee-less this time, and I returned the favour, that’s all.”

“Then why are you blushing like mad?” Joey inquired smugly.

“I’m not blushing!” Yugi exclaimed, knowing fully well that it was a lie.

He walked passed his roommate and into his bedroom to get ready for his work day. Jou followed him, hot on his tail. “Come on, Yug! Don’t leave me hanging!”

Yugi pulled out a shirt from his closet. “I don’t kiss and tell, Jou.”

The blonde squealed. “Oh my god, you kissed?!”


	22. Spring

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So PuzzleJune will probably finish early July instead of June, real life is hectic around here, and I want to take my time to write the drabbles and be happy about what I put out here.  
> So after Summer and Winter, here is the follow-up, Spring with a sprinkle of smut :)

The last few weeks had slowly but surely given way to the soft signs of springtime weather.

Yugi had once again been taken by the whirlwind of his college semester and part-time job, flying between school and work, with the often trips to the library. It wasn’t like he wanted to escape the reality of his new and fresh relationship with his gorgeous roommate, but he had a lot of trouble keeping his mind out of the gutter and his hands to himself whenever they were in the same vicinity.

And sometimes he wondered if his appetite for his partner was a bit too much to handle for the other. If it was up to him, he would pin Atem to any surface near them and have his way with him all the time, but he kept wandering if Atem was happy in the situation or if he might be annoyed at how little self-control Yugi had.

So Yugi had taken to give his boyfriend a little break and tried focusing on his studies and his work to keep himself occupied otherwise. He did not want Atem to think he was incapable of restraining himself, or that he was just a horny man listening to every single one of his urges.

Yugi sighed as his forehead hit his keyboard.

Thinking about Atem would not get him closer to finishing his project…

***

Atem could say with a certain certainty that he could not get enough of his newly acquired boyfriend. He had spent months fantasizing about having Yugi in his arm, and his bed he had to confess. That now famous winter evening when they had finally let go of all their pretenses and give into each other was one he could not forget (and live down, due to their friends’ constant teasing).

And Yugi was a giver, that was for sure. Maybe it was all that pent up tension between them all those months prior, but his roommate now boyfriend would often end up with hands and lips on him at any given moment. And Atem would take all the other would give him, whether it was against a wall, in the shower, or on the living room couch (Yugi loved TRYING to watch TV or play videogames, but failing at focusing and busying himself in more pleasant ways in the end).

But there was just something nagging Atem in the back of his mind.

Not to say that Atem was unhappy with how Yugi would jump at him any chance he got, and he reciprocated with the same amount of fervour, but every time HE had tried to initiate something, anything, there were two options happening. One, Yugi would actually beat him to it. Two, someone or something would interrupt him. It was like karma was against him (or Jounouchi just had the worst timing ever, all the time).

Recently, it had become an ever worse nightmare with the end of the semester closing in. Yugi was barely home at the same time he was, their work and school schedule colliding difficultly this time around. It was slowly, but surely driving him crazy, and he was starting to wonder if Yugi was as affected by it as him, because it seemed to him that his boyfriend was not as hands-on as he had been, at least for the past three weeks.

Atem sighed as his forehead hit his notebook.

With all those thoughts in mind, Atem could not concentrate on the lecture even if he tried very hard.

***

Atem felt the way home was particularly long that day. He had been unable to focus on anything other then the need to cuddle and kiss and touch and more with Yugi, and this time, he would make sure that absolutely nothing would disturb them.

He noticed Yugi’s shoes on the doormat, happily surprised his boyfriend was already home. He took off his own shoes and headed further in the apartment.

Atem froze in his spot and just stared at the picture he was offered from the kitchen.

Yugi was wearing pair of loose black khakis that were coming just below his knees, leaving his well-defined calves and feet bare. His upper body was covered with a dark purple t-shirt, hugging his back muscles and his hair was tied in a ponytail, sign of the warmer weather slowly coming by. And the pale soft skin of his neck was exposed, like a delicious pre-dinner snack Atem just wanted a bite of.

Okay, so maybe seeing Yugi with his hair up had always been a major turn-on for him…

There was music playing from the living room, and Yugi was humming to the melody and lightly swaying his hips as he mixed some ingredients in a large metal bowl. And boy, did Yugi’s ass look good in those khakis…

Atem approached as quietly as he could from behind and gently laid his hands on his boyfriend’s waist, sensing the surprise he had given the other.

“Atem, you…!”

Yugi dropped his spoon in the bowl when a pair of warm lips met with a very sensitive point on the nape of his neck. His fingers curled against the kitchen countertop.

“W-what are you doing?” he stuttered.

Atem kept attacking his neck with slow and lavish kisses, his teeth grazing and nibbling the skin. His hands had found their way under his t-shirt and were currently inching it upwards, caressing his stomach deliberately keeping their touch as light as they could.

“I’m hungry,” he responded in between two kisses.

Yugi tried his best to keep his breathing even, but he found he hard a time keeping up with this simple task. “I’m making diner…”

Atem bit harder at the junction between his neck and shoulder, earning a breathless gasp. “Not hungry for that kind of thing right now.”

And without further ado, his let his fingers run higher on Yugi’s torso and reached his nipples, rolling them gently between his fingers, his lips returning to the pressure point on his neck and sucking at the bite mark he had just left.

Yugi felt his knees buck underneath him and held harder onto the counter. The movement caused his butt to collide with Atem’s core behind him, now framing the other’s arousal between his two cheeks. One of the hands on his chest left its place and downed to his hip before reaching to the front of his khakis agonizingly slowly and fingers brushed against his own arousal.

Just as karma would have it, Yugi’s phone buzzed next to them on the counter, a ringtone cutting over the already playing background music.

But Atem was having none of it tonight. “Fuck this…”

His hand quickly left the front of Yugi’s pants to grab the phone, silence it and chuck across the room aiming for the couch, before swiftly returning his hands to the zipper of his boyfriend’s khakis and almost ripping it down open. With his foot, he pried Yugi’s legs further apart and shifted so his thigh would support most of the other’s weight. He peeled down the pants and boxers until his hand touched only the warm skin of the aroused member begging for attention.

Yugi arched back automatically under the gentle touch, tilting his head, inviting Atem to keep exploring the sensitive skin of his neck. He could only focus on the hands and lips that were currently stimulating every single nerve in his system. He registered that the phone was ringing again, but he could not care less about it when Atem began pumping his hand in a slow and deliberate rhythm.

It was not long before Yugi started thrusting into Atem’s hand, accelerating the cadence and moaning in pleasure. The last few weeks of restrain had been so hard on him, and he was feeling himself coming any second now. Atem felt the hitch in his breathing and gave a few particularly quicker and pressing pumps to send him over the edge. Yugi’s head fell back against his shoulder and softly cried of his name as he spurted onto the kitchen cabinets in front of them.

Atem kept his hands on him, helping him ride the wave of his orgasm until he was sure his partner was satisfied. He gave a softer kiss on the abused skin of Yugi’s neck and squeezed his arms around him. “Well, I missed this…”

Yugi twisted his head so he could take a look at his boyfriend. There was a pink afterglow on his cheeks. “Me too,” he started before turning around and redressing his bottom half, still encircled by Atem’s arms. He laid his palms against his chest and bit his lower lip. “You know, I keep wondering if maybe I’m coming on too strong, I mean I mostly want to devour you every time I look at you and-“

Atem chuckled. “Yugi, I just gave you a hand job right in the middle of our kitchen.”

“I know, and it was wonderful, I mean freaking awesome-“

The phone beeped with an annoying messaging tune and Yugi looked in its direction. “Oh buzz off, we’re having a moment!”

Atem laughed at the outburst and kissed Yugi’s nose to bring him back into the conversation. “For the record, I love it when you just jump on me. It’s only annoying because you always beat me to it by barey a few seconds.”

Yugi looked stunned and then embarrassed. “Oh.”

“Yeah, oh,” the other replied. “I’m as insatiable as you are, so stop worrying about it.”

Yugi started drawing small circles on his chest, trying to look as innocent as he could. “So then… can I get dessert now?”

“Absolutely!” Atem smiled smugly.

The phone beeped again.

Both sighed in annoyance.

“Seriously…”


	23. Tradition

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This took longer to write because I had all these ideas that needed to be combined to my liking.  
> And it started with me wanting to write something about swings, yup, swings.  
> And it got longer and longer, but I'm happy about how it turned out.  
> I know I'm repeating my self, but I love these boys so much!  
> Enjoy!

There were certain elements in Yugi’s life that were pretty constant.

But his favourite one was breakfast with his friends after his monthly night shift at the shop, because nothing could beat filling yourself with bacon and eggs right before sleeping the morning away after a well-spent night.

It had become a staple that his grandpa’s game shop would host a full night of games every month, when people could come and challenge each other in different board games or even duel in card games, drinking soda and coffee all night long. Yugi mostly helped at the store during these nights, since it had been his idea to introduce such events.

On most of these nights, Jounouchi would show up early to help Yugi set shop and would then spend the whole night navigating between playing games and assisting his best friend. Their mutual acquaintances would arrive at various times, but would rarely fail to show up. Honda and Otogi would usually arrive at the same time, since they shared an apartment now, soon followed by Anzu and sometimes Mai, if she was in town.

A few months ago, Bakura had shown up with two new friends from work, Marik and Atem, and, like if they had been part of the gang forever, they clicked right in. Yugi had even abandoned his position as host of the evening to play against Atem at Duel Monster, and they had become quite the sensation.

And just like that, after bonding over a card game and then spending most of that night talking like they had known each other forever, Atem and Yugi had become somewhat instant friends. Phone numbers were exchanged, selfies taken for contact pictures and thus starting long texts exchanges any time of the day.

That morning after, everyone had cramped up around a table at their favourite breakfast joint, Katie’s, a diner that catered 24/7 and that refilled their coffee mugs without even being ask to. Instead of being the usual number, they added one more chair for Atem who had decided to join and no one had even questioned his addition.

Yugi’s monthly breakfast tradition had just became a little bit brighter.

***

Yugi did not think he was that drunk.

“Jou, Jou, listen! I believe I can fly!” he sang, not quite at the top of his lungs.

Okay, so maybe he was a bit more inebriated than he originally thought.

“I believe I can touch the sky!” Jounouchi completed next to him.

And maybe his friend was as affected as he was then.

They were both currently sitting on their respective swing in the playground, trying to go as high as the swings would take them. Yugi felt lightheaded from the sensation of going up and down in a rhythmic movement, and he loved it. He wondered why he did not do this more often, the swinging, not the drinking.

If Yugi had to explain how they had ended up at the park, he was not sure he would get all the details right because most of the evening did not quite make sense. Jounouchi had arrived at his apartment and demanded he get dressed because he was taking him out. Yugi had whined about it at first, but Jou had coaxed him with the promise of food and that had him moving. They had ended up at a local pub, and someone had recognized them from the game shop and Duel Monster tournaments, and offered them a drink. One drink had turned into two, then three, then… he stop counting.

As they were headed back to their own place, they had stumbled upon their grade school and Yugi had felt the need, no, the urge, to go into the playground and act like a child by climbing up the ladders, going down the slides, falling from the monkey bars, his butt hitting the soft sand under them.

Then his eyes had settled on the swings, and he was a goner.

Now, he had switched to a standing position, steadier then he thought he would be in his state. An idea had hit him suddenly, and he felt like he needed to share his input with his best friend.

“Oh, oh! Look at me! I’m Seto Kaiba, millionaire extraordinaire, and my coat always flaps in the wind because I’m awesome like that!” Yugi exclaimed.

Jounouchi looked at him, his mouth open wide and laughed so hard, he almost tripped as he was also getting to a standing position on his own swing. “Okay, my turn! Look at me, I’m Marik Ishtar and my abs are so great I wear crop tops to flaunt them!” he replied, while gyrating like a belly dancer.

The other paused for a second. “Hey, that’s not t- oh, wait yeah, he does that! Okay, next! Look at me, I’m Jounouchi Katsuya and I’m afraid of ghosts even though they’re not real!” he said, grinning at the blonde.

Jou let his head fall back in annoyance. “Oh man, I’m never gonna live that down, am I? It was one time!”

“Nope, it’s all the time!” Yugi assured him.

His friend huffed and turned his gaze his way shortly, with a smirk. “Okay, so how about this one then? Look at me, I’m Atem Sennen and I ogle eyes at Yugi whenever I think he’s not watching!”

“What?!”

“What?!” Jou repeated.

And it happened so fast, Jounouchi couldn’t help but laugh again as he saw his friend try to get a good grip on his swing, and failing miserably before tripping and falling back to a seating position before tangling himself in the swing’s chain and end up half-hanging from said-swing.

Yugi was suddenly feeling very sober.

“You can’t just go and say something like that and expect me not to react, Jou!” he hissed, before finally being able to free himself and sit on the ground next to the swing set. “Man, that hurt more than it should have…”

The blonde slowed his swing until he was just sitting suspended in the air next to his seated friend. He was about to reply when a shrill tune sounded from Yugi’s pocket. The shorter boy took out his cellphone and looked at it, eyes opening wide.

“Shit…”

“What’s wrong?” the other asked.

Yugi pinched the bridge of his nose while sighing. “I drunk texted Atem.” He handed his phone to Jou who looked at the conversation displayed for him.

**12:23 – Hey sexy beast, where you at?**

_12:25 – Huh home. What’s going on with you?_

**12:27 – Nothing, I just miss you ;)**

_12:28 – Have you been drinking or something?_

**12:30 – No… Maybe. Yes :D**

_12:31 – Just tell me you’re safe._

**12:38 – With Jou, safe as can be. Come meet us!**

_12:40 – I’m in my pjs, Yugi._

**12:45 – Even better! Like shirtless?**

_12:46 – … where are you?_

**12:48 – The Irish Joint! Put a shirt on first though!**

_12:50 – Give me twenty minutes._

_1:18 – And you’re not here._

_1:23 – Yugi?_

_1:29 – Should have stayed in bed._

_1:35 – I swear, you owe me big time for this._

_1:41 – Can’t be properly mad at you, where are you?_

“Sexy beast, huh? How long have you been about seeing Atem shirtless?” Jou pondered.

Yugi fell back on the grass, groaning. “I’m so stupid!”

“Next time, I’ll take your phone away from you when you drink. You a needy drunk, buddy!” the blonde replied, mimicking smooching sounds and giggling. He still had not handed the phone back to his friend.

Yugi hid behind his hands. “Stop laughing, this is not funny!”

“It kinda is. You two dorks like each other and you’re both too dumb to do anything ‘bout it!” the swinging man complained.

“There you are!” came a third voice from the park’s entrance.

Yugi sat up straight as he recognized it. He stared at Jou with panicked eyes, but the other just smiled smugly before dropping his phone of his knees, the text conversation still openly displayed.

**2:03 – School playground close to Jou’s place.**

“Traitor…” Yugi mouthed.

“And that is my cue to leave,” he answered, grinning.

The blonde stood from his swing and watched as Atem made their way to them. He waved and said his goodbyes quickly before leaving the two boys behind, Yugi still refusing to look at the new arrival and Atem still trying to piece together what was happening at the moment.

“You okay down there?” he asked, as he sat down next to the lavender-eyed man.

“Yup, just peachy,” he nodded, eyes still glued to the emptiness in front of him.

There were a few minutes of welcomed silence between them before Yugi decided to speak again. Maybe it was the last remains of alcohol in his blood that gave him the forwardness to point out what he said next. “Jou thinks you like me.”

He could feel the man next to him stiffen. “Okay…” came the hesitant reply.

Slowly, Yugi turned his eyes to look at Atem. “Well?”

“What?” the other said.

He could only manage a short question at that point. “Do you?”

“Do I what?” Atem provided.

Yugi felt like the other was making things more difficult just to tease him. “Like me?”

There was a brief chuckle. “I am not having this discussion with drunk you, Yugi.”

“But I’m not drunk,” Yugi whined.

Another chuckle. “Sure.”

“Well, I’m not that drunk. Well, not anymore,” the paler one admitted.

When Atem did not provide an answer, Yugi simply scooted closer and laid his head on his shoulder. He sensed the tension in the other, but it seemed to ease as Atem took a deep breath.

“And what if I like you?”

It was barely above a whisper, but it sounded like a scream in Atem’s ears. It sent his heart into overdrive instantly. “Once again, discussion closed,” he managed to murmur back.

It took a few seconds for Yugi to reply. “And once again, not drunk.”

When Yugi reached for Atem’s hand, he did not pull away and squeezed it back, reassuringly. Atem breathed a happy sigh as he rested his head on top of the other’s. They stayed in this moment, staring at the few cars that passed by at this time of night, neither adding anything to the conversation, until Yugi broke the peaceful silence.

“Here’s the deal,” he started. “I’m kinda famished right now, downside of sobering up. Want to get out of here and have some greasy breakfast food with me?”

Atem laughed softly. “Are you trying to seduce me with food at…” he stopped to look at the time on his cellphone, the soft glow illuminating his face. “… almost 3 in the morning? Because it might be working.”

“Not really, just really hungry,” Yugi grinned back.

He was the first to stand up and offered his hand to his friend. As soon as both boys were standing right in front of each other, Atem could not help but notice how close they were and he fought the urge to lay his hands on the other’s waist to bring them even closer. Instead, he opted for gazing into lavender eyes, not caring if his affection for the other man was showing very clearly in that instant.

“What are you thinking about?” Yugi asked, his voice still low.

Atem swallowed, but he did not take his gaze off his face. “About how much I’d love to just kiss you right now.”

Yugi felt a blush coming very strongly, dusting his cheeks with a bright red hue. “Why are you thinking about it instead of doing it?”

Hands finally found their way on his hips and gently, he let himself be pulled closer to the almond-skin man. “Because, Yugi, when I’ll kiss you for the first time, I want you to be fully aware of what’s happening.” With that, Atem went ahead and deposited a very soft peck on his nose. As he pulled back, Yugi could see both the loving smile and the now matching blush he sported.

Yugi laid his head on the other’s chest and groaned. “Why are you so nice, and so caring, and so cute, and so considerate, all at the same time?”

A chuckle rumbled into Atem’s body. He embraced Yugi in a short, but warm hug and then grabbed his hand, leading them to the playground’s exit. “Come on, there’s a plate of extra bacon waiting for me at Katie’s.”

***

“You boys are off schedule, no?” a waitress with the familiar nametag Monique greeted them as they walked into the diner.

They settled into their usual table, seating across from each other in well-worn leather booths. They did not even touch the menu as mugs of hot coffee were already being placed in front on them.

“Yeah, a change in tradition you could say” Yugi supplied as he thanked her for the beverage.

“So this is going to be a thing, you texting me at impossible hours and convincing me to have breakfast with you out on a whim?” Atem wondered as he poured milk into his cup.

Yugi also added milk to his coffee and stirred it with a metal spoon. “I don’t know, could be OUR thing, you know.”

“And you said I was cute, huh?”

The waiting Monique cleared her throat and both realised that they were not as alone as they had thought a second ago. They turned her way, Yugi scratching the back of his neck and Atem playing with his spoon nervously.

“The usual, boys?” she inquired, smiling at them.

They both nodded and then watched her step to the kitchen to pass on their orders. When they went back to their mugs, they smiled at each other before laughing. And just like that, they started talking about the next tournament, Atem’s side stories about work and Yugi’s order of that new game they had been raving about ever since it was announced. When their food arrived, they had their ongoing argument about what the best cooking for eggs was (Yugi liked them scrambled and Atem preferred them sunny-side up, because how else would you eat your toasts if not dipped in dripping egg yolk?).

Soon, their dishes were empty, their mugs refilled for a third time and the sun was not quite peaking out yet from the high buildings surrounding the streets. Yugi stifled a yawn, torn between his very present need to sleep and the want to keep this moment alone with Atem as long as possible.

“I feel so awake, but so tired at the same time,” he mumbled.

Atem chuckled from his side of the table. “You and me, pal. Let’s go before I get tempted with a fourth unhealthy cup of coffee.”

They stood up, left their due of the table and motioned their goodbye to Monique who was busy with other clients. She smiled and waved their way with the typical fondness in her eyes they had come to appreciate these past few months. When they were out of the diner, they both stopped, realizing that this was where they usually separated ways, Atem crossing the street west to his place, and Yugi heading south back to the apartment over the game shop.

They both just turned to each other and waited.

In that moment, to Atem, Yugi looked so perfect in the barely there morning light, smiling at him, his hands in his pockets, shuffling his feet like he always did when he was nervous.

In that moment, to Yugi, Atem looked so perfect with the twinkle of the street lights still lit reflecting in his eyes, gazing at him, his hands pulling up the collar of his hoodie closer to his face like he always did when he was thinking too hard.

“Well, I guess this is good night, but more like good morning, huh?” Yugi said, almost as low as a whisper, afraid to break the moment, but needing to say something, anything.

Atem noticed they were so close, but how he wished they were closer. “Yeah…”

So he went ahead and shattered that distance.

And it happened right there, on the street corner next to Katie’s, as the world was slowly waking up around them. Atem cradled his face ever so gently between his two palms and brought their face closer slowly, taking the time to watch as various emotions passed through Yugi’s eyes before finally setting on the one he had been waiting for, and then he closed the gap between them completely, pressing their lips together. He felt the content exhale of breath from the other as hands found their way around his neck, tickling the back of his hair. They both smiled into the kiss, letting out a short breathless laugh, before connecting again, lips softly moving together, parting slightly to let tongues dance with one another. After a few minutes, they simply rested their forehead against the other’s, violet and crimson pouring affection into each other.

“I don’t want to go home right now,” Atem spoke.

“Me neither,” Yugi replied. “Beside your place’s closer…” he offered, a shy smile gracing his lips.

The bronze-skinned man dropped one last tender kiss on his lips, before letting go and opting to lace their fingers instead. They headed west together this time as the sun began glistening on the skyscrapers around them and the world slowly started spinning into its awakening.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I need a puzzleshipping playlist, y'all!  
> Like what songs make you think of our boys?  
> Reach out to me on Tumblr: xauroraxborealisx.tumblr.com


	24. Silence

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Holy cow, I'm late and once again sorry!  
> I will finish PuzzleJune, don't worry!  
> When I started this, my drabbles were around 500 words each and now, some of them are getting way longer than I ever thought they would, but I'm enjoying writing them so much that I don't really care hihi!  
> So this one is set after Transcend, so canon-compliant!  
> Enjoy and hopefully, I'll be back sooner with the next one!

Yugi had been very quiet today, even though he had spent most of his day helping out at the shop. Usually, he and Yami would talk through their mind link, exchanging thoughts about the various clients or events happening throughout the day, but it was mostly Yugi entertaining Yami with his anecdotes and the other listening and giving input. Rarely would Yami start up conversations, minding that he might disturb his host.

Today, however, Yugi mostly kept to himself and even if there were no mental blocks, it was hard to figure out what he was thinking about, as if his own thoughts were laced with fog and uncertainty, like he himself had trouble focusing on anything at all. Somehow, that worried Yami, but he did not want to push Yugi. He preferred a gentle approach with his partner, so he would wait until the other made his move, even if the wait for edging him on.

_“Other Me?”_

Yugi had just turned the closed sign on the shop, having taken it upon himself to close up after sending his grandfather to rest upstairs. Yami took this as a sign and appeared next to him, freeing himself from the confines of the puzzle. He floated ghostly and settled not too far, but not too close to Yugi either. The boy was looking outside at the still high summer sun painting the town and he looked even more thoughtful than he had felt from inside his mind.

_“Something on your mind, Partner?”_ Yami asked.

Yugi turned to face him and smiled, and although it took a few more seconds, the smile reached his eyes. _“Yes and no, I don’t really know how to put this. I’m sorry about it, I could sense you poking around and trying to make sense of my feelings, but it must have been quite a mess up there.”_

Yami smiled back and came closer, a hand reaching for his face. It was not the same as when they were both in the soul room, where they could touch each other, but there was still a faint notion of touch between them, like a fleeting sensation in each caress or press of hands, reverberating deep inside them. Yugi let his cheek lay against that hand that had no warmth, but the feeling was as powerful as if there had been.

_“I’d like to share something with you, Other Me.”_

The darker half could not help, but chuckle lightly. _“You already share so much with me.”_

Yugi’s own small laugh was clear and genuine. _“I know, but I love to share those things with you, like food and places and music. I just… I want you to be able to appreciate all these things. With me. Does that make me selfish?”_

Yami could not help but shake his head. _“If it does, than it is the most selfless selfishness there can be.”_

Yugi beamed again before leaving his side and retrieving his wallet from behind the store counter, as well as his set of keys. He locked behind them and they walked side by side down the street, heading in a different direction the usual path to either school or any of their friends. After only a couple of block, Yugi spotted a bench and sat down, inviting Yami to do the same with a patting gesture.

Yami raised an eyebrow before joining his companion. _“What are we sitting here for?”_

_“We’re waiting for the bus to arrive,”_ Yugi simply supplied.

_“We’re… taking the bus? To where?”_ his other self inquired.

_“That’s the point. We’re just taking the bus… until the end of the line. That’s it.”_

Yami stared at him, questioningly. _“I’m not sure I understand…”_

_“The first time I did this, years ago, before I even met Jounouchi and Honda, it had been a horrible day. I mean, I’m not the toughest guy and people thought that gave them the right to bully me around,”_ Yugi started explaining.

Yugi could sense his other self become a bit upset at his words. He knew that he had always been very protective of him from the very beginning, but now, it felt different. The anger felt different, it was more personal than it had been before, but also more subdued, like an afterthought that Yami was having, but knew that he would not act upon.

_“So, without really thinking, I just hopped on the first bus that passed by and rode it until the end of the line. At that moment, I basically just wanted to get away, but I had nowhere to go at the same time. So I just sat down and… I don’t know. Nothing really.”_

Yami could see Yugi was trying to find the right words, when it seems that there were no right words to describe what his feelings were at that time. He sensed that he was about to continue his explanation, but a bus had arrived right in front of them at the stop. Yugi stood up and almost reached for his hand, but remembered they were in public so he just looked sheepishly at him and motioned with a head nod for him to hop on the bus after him. He settled for a seat in the back of the bus where there was lots of room to spare so that no one would actually end up “sitting on” Yami. As soon as both had found their place, Yugi took a deep breath and offered the rest of his thoughts, but refused to meet the other’s eyes as he spoke.

_“Nothing special happened, but I realized something. As I watched people get down and the bus emptying itself, it felt… freeing. As if each of these people getting off was one less thing I had to think about. I know it sounds stupid, but that’s how it felt.”_

Yami laid a palm on his knee and the gesture had the effect he needed. Yugi’s eyes went up and met his. _“Nothing about this is stupid, Partner. Feelings are complicated, not stupid.”_

He realized as he said those words that they held much more meaning that he had first thought about. The emotions running in Yugi’s eyes told him that he was not the only one troubled by his own words. Without a mental block up, he could also sense every memory flicking into his partner’s mind: the completion of the puzzle, their first meeting, their first acknowledgement of each other, their growing bound, the times they both thought they had lost one another, the night when Yugi had thrown caution to the wind and kissed him, and the night when Yami had thrown caution to the wind and responded to the kiss. Then, there was a succession of memories filled with love and affection, but also laced with physical sensations that had them both blushing simultaneously and break eye contact. However, Yami kept his hand on the other, squeezing lightly, and sent a wave of comfort to reassure him that it was okay he was reliving these thoughts and that he cherished them too.

And Yami started noticing the people getting off the bus and the quietness they left in their place, and just as Yugi has mentioned, this felt liberating, as if it gave him enough space to appreciate every single one of his thoughts instead of cramming them in piles into his intricate mind. He also felt the pull from his other as it guided him to take over, inviting him to share the experience differently. It was a soft shift, and he relaxed into it as he noticed his senses filling with the environment, from the feel of the bench to the light breeze coming from the opened window next to him. He breathed in, the air smelling less of city streets and more of saltiness, the outdoors changing to a more rural sight.

The further they traveled, the more empty the bus got, as predicated by Yugi. Their last stop lead them to a secluded area where a short staircase descended unto a small pebble beach with barely a few trees offering shade from the late afternoon sun. Yugi was there, hovering next to him as he walked down the steps and unto the rocks crackling beneath his feet.

_“I ended up taking a few other buses and discovered other spots where thinking seemed easier, but this one is by far my favourite,”_ he explained.

He sat down on the rocky ground close to the water and Yami could see him inhale deeply as he too, took a seat next to him and stared at the water bank in front of them. For a moment, they were both silently listening to the music from the current and the summer breeze rustling in the leaves. Yami somehow knew that Yugi would not be the first one to talk as he sensed his unease, and surveyed his mind softly. And there it was, the conversation that both did not know how to have, but that needed to happen eventually, the one that had been plaguing Yugi’s mind all day, and, unconsciously, Yami’s mind too.

Yami broke their unrest earnestly, his voice out in the open this time. “I know whatever is happening between us can’t be simple for you to process. It isn’t for me, so I can’t even begin to imagine for you.”

Yugi angled his body his way to be able to look at the other. _“You’re right, it’s not.”_

Another tense moment of silence passed, and then Yugi smiled the most honest smile Yami had ever seen. _“But it makes me happy. So happy,”_ he breathed out.

The crimson eyes looking at him filled with love and there was nothing else clouding them. “It makes me happy too, Partner.”

His own eyes filled with as much love as he was given. _“As for everything else, we’ll deal with it when we get there. Together. Like always. Deal?”_

“Deal,” Yami confirmed.

_“So from now on, I don’t want to think about it, I just want to live it. Every single second of it.”_

Ghosted hands rested upon Yami’s face and lips met with his, and there was nothing empty or inexistent in that kiss. To any person who could have witnessed this, they would have seen a boy sitting by himself on a beach with his eyes closed, but to Yami, this was Yugi showing him that he did not care what the world thought at that specific moment. As long as they had each other.

They stayed in their slice of bliss for a good hour before catching a bus back to the city. Yami once again settled for a seat in the back, making sure Yugi could sit next to him as he done for the other on their way there. As he watched Domino City’s landscape turn back to its modern center, he felt Yugi lay his head on his shoulder and a hand grazing his. Yami turned his palm upwards and opened it, inviting the spiritual hand into his, their fingers interlocking. He looked at his partner, resting against him peacefully, not asleep, but eyes closed, in deep enjoyment of this tiny glimpse of shared happiness.

That moment right there gave him a sense of normalcy, something that Yugi was so good at making him feel.

Because there was nothing normal about their relationship.

But right now, he could pretend.

Right now, they were just two boys in love in the back of a quiet and almost empty bus.


	25. Change

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm back again, and the rating of this whole thing has just gone up again, just to be sure.  
> This is fluff and smut, because we all deserve it!
> 
> Oh, and just because I can, I'm sending a wink to [bewdofchaos](https://archiveofourown.org/users/bewdofchaos/pseuds/bewdofchaos) because she shares my fundness of crime tv shows!
> 
> Enjoy!

No.

_No._

_No!_

This was not good.

It was bad enough, but now this?

Class needed to end right now, even though it had just started.

And he was supposed to keep his cool for the next three hours?

Atem was going to lose it for sure.

“Good evening class, as Doctor Samson is absent due to a family emergency, I’ll be teaching tonight. So let’s get started, shall we?”

Atem gulped and hid behind his book, taking a deep breath to calm his racing heart.

Who gave anyone the T.A. the right to look this… adorable?

***

Atem knew he was in trouble the moment he set foot in the class, four months ago. The teacher was already welcoming the students in class, waiting patiently by the door as he handed the curriculum for the next semester. The Egyptian was looking forward to this class about Ancient Art and Language, which would bring some insight into his History Major. He had been hoping to get a spot ever since he enrolled in college 2 years ago. Doctor Samson was famous around campus for being very enthusiastic in his teachings, and had researched in Europe, specializing in Italian and Greek forms of art. Atem was interested in both, even though he preferred middle-eastern cultures that reminded him of his own background.

As he entered, his eyes were glued to the paper that had just been handed to him and he scanned it quickly before looking up to find a good seat in the classroom that was slowly filling up. He spotted his friend Marik on the left side of the room, an empty spot next to him, and headed his way. In his haste to join the other, he bumped into another person standing at the front of the class.

“Sorry about that!” he said, turning around.

Amethyst eyes took his breath away.

“That’s okay, I’m quite clumsy, don’t worry!” the man answered, scratching the back of his neck, smiling.

And then he went on his way to meet up with the teacher who was setting his stuff, getting ready to start his lesson soon. Atem quickly retreated to his chosen seat, sitting stiffly next to Marik and completely forgot to acknowledge his friend.

“Hey there to you too! I think you should come back from whatever cloud you’re on to actually pay attention…” the other bronze man offered.

Atem finally faced him. “What?”

“Stop staring, it’s not very polite,” Marik snickered.

The other huffed and started emptying the needed content from his messenger bag. “I’m not staring, what the hell are you talking about?”

“Sure, and I’m not tanned. What else is new?”

Atem was about to reply with a snarky comment of his own, but the teacher commanded the attention at the front of their class.

“Good evening, my name is Doctor Samson. I recognize some faces from another one of my classes, but most of you I’ll get to know over the next few months. Welcome to Ancient Art and Language, where you’ll see that pictures and words are not that different from one another when it comes to communication in history. I trust all of you have the curriculum in hand and that you’ll familiarise yourself with it. As a reminder, my information and office hours are also written at the top, as well as those of my teacher assistant, who will be with us all semester. Mr. Mutou, if you would?”

The amethyst-eyed man who had yet to take a seat came to stand next to the professor.

Oh.

_Oh._

_Oh!_

He could hear the snort from Marik as the young man introduced himself to the class.

“Hello! I’m Yugi Mutou, and I’ll be assisting Doctor Samson as part of my training. I’m majoring in Archelogy, but I’ve taken a huge interest trying to decipher pieces from Antiquity. Although we share the same passion for historical art and languages, I believe we’ll able to complement each other well. So don’t hesitate to ask me anything also.”

Atem swallowed and didn’t know whether to consider this a nightmare or a blessing that he would have to share the same space as this man for a whole semester.

***

One of the worst thing about Yugi Mutou was that he was so easy to talk to, and that he was so passionate about his subject that it brought a flush of pride to his cheek every time he would be able to gush about it. Doctor Samson had given him space in class to take over on certain of his areas of expertise, and together, they made for one hell of a team. Often, class would be interrupted by various questions that took their topic of conversation in different directions, but always gave great insight on the subject of art and language.

At first, Atem tried to distance himself for the other man, going straight to the professor if he had any questions, but he found himself asking Yugi more questions as time passed. His knowledge of ancient Egypt was impressive and he was happy to engage with him, exchange information on something that Atem seemed to cherish as much as the assistant. Unfortunately for him, that gave Marik plenty of joking material when they were not in that class (and sometimes when they were in also, exasperating Atem greatly).

He was surprised, and not really at the same time, to learn that their T.A. was only two years older than him, which made it even more difficult to slow down the growth of his infatuation with him. At first, he had thought that his hormones would get the best of him, but knowing the guy only made it worst because Yugi was not only attractive on the outside, but on the inside also. The few times he had been unable to avoid meeting him outside of class (he tried dodging and hiding before the other could notice his presence in the hallways or in the courtyard), they had talked so naturally that Atem had noticed himself falling even harder for teacher. They, of course, shared a passion for anything related to Egyptology, Atem’s background culture and Yugi’s interest for his upcoming research, but they also discovered that they had a profound liking for crime tv shows that both confessed to binge watching on occasion.

Things had been going great, Atem being able to handle his class and focus on the lectures and work, until today, when Doctor Samson had been absent and Yugi had taken over the class for the lesson.

Because today, Yugi had come to class wearing glasses.

Freaking dorky large black rimmed glasses.

Atem could not focus on anything else.

“Shit…” is the only word he said before retreating in complete silent mode.

Marik’s side-glances were not helping, but even he did not pass any off-handed comments when he noticed how in deep struggle Atem seemed to be.

And after three hours of fighting a blush, as well as fantasies involving those glasses fogging up, he practically ran out of the class to avoid having to even interact with the T.A.

***

_“Holy crap, Atem, you seemed possessed when you left! I mean, Usain Bolt would piss in his pants at the speed you ran out of there!”_

Marik’s voice sounded in his ear as he held the phone to it with his shoulder, trying to decide between two different brands of coffee, standing close to the shelves in the small grocery store close to campus.

“I know, I just… This is completely ridiculous. Why would the fact that he was wearing glasses get to me that much?” he replied, sighing exasperated. He could not even begin to coherently explain the violent lustful reaction he had had to that fact.

 _“I don’t know, you tell me! Maybe you have a thing for nerds!”_ Marik offered.

Atem put his choice of coffee into his cart and rolled down towards the end of the aisle. “How the hell am I going to survive until the end of semester?” he whined to the other.

 _“Without jumping his bones?”_ the other suggested smugly.

There was a screech from the wheels of the cart when he braked fast in his walk. “NO! I mean, just being in class, you a-hole!”

He heard his phone partner chuckled lightly. _“You only have to worry about that for the last two lessons. Then you can have your merry way with him…”_

Atem was about to reply when he turned into the next aisle and froze in his steps. Right there, making a selection from tomato sauces was Yugi, a shopping basket balanced on his elbow.

_“Atem?”_

As if this was a cruel joke made on him by all the gods, Yugi noticed him and waved while smiling happily, and started walking his way.

“Gotta go, bye.”

He hung up quickly and pocketed his phone, swallowing and trying to steady his breath, because, of course, Yugi was still wearing the aforementioned glasses, and he felt his stomach churn as the T.A. closed the distance between them.

“Hey there, you okay?” he asked. “You kind of bolted out of class quite fast, I thought you were going to throw up or something…”

Atem shook his head and waved his hand rapidly in front of him. “No, no, I’m fine. Just had to run, too much coffee in my bladder, I guess.”

Yugi scratched the back of his head, a nervous gesture he seemed to have from time to time. “That’s good, I mean, that you’re okay. You had me worried.”

They fell in stride heading down the aisle next to each other, and Atem felt the question on the tip of tongue before letting it out. “So, glasses, huh?”

The other laughed and pushed said glasses back up his nose. “Yeah, I got an eye infection because of a faulty contact lens, so I have to lay off them for the next few weeks, until it’s completely healed. So I went back to my college student vibe as you can see. Not that big of a change really.”

Atem tried to refrain himself from blushing, but he was sure that his cheeks were now slightly pink coloured even if he willed it away. “I see,” he simply said as he focused his attention on the display of cans of soups next to them without really seeing them.

Yugi kept walking, but he stopped after a second. “Well, I’ll leave you to your shopping then. I’ve got a marathon of Criminal Minds waiting for me at home. I’ll see you next week, if not before, Atem.”

Atem almost dropped the can he was holding, hearing his first name leaving the other man’s lips so casually. He battled with his mind to regain control of his voicing mechanism and glanced back down the aisle as Yugi was close to the end.

“Hey Yugi!” he called out, using the other’s surname also for the first time.

Purple eyes looked back his way, with a certain surprise in them.

“Your glasses, they really suit you,” Atem spoke gently.

And there it was, appearing suddenly, but very hard to hide: a redness spreading across Yugi’s cheekbones and nose.

A small wave with a nervous smile and he was out of sight, turning into the next aisle.

Atem remembered he needed to breathe.

***

The last two classes went by faster than he ever thought, with material crammed quickly into the lessons and work being revised and handed back for final grading. The glasses were still perched permanently of the T.A.’s nose, and Atem still had a hard time looking at him in the eyes without feeling butterflies erupting in his stomach, but at least, he was controlling the heat threatening to invade his face at first.

Doctor Samson was preaching about other classes they could take with him if they wished, and soon their last class together was over, the teacher leaving his T.A. to wrap things up as he had a plane to catch with colleagues from the research department heading to Italy as they spoke. Students piled out of the class, thanking Mr. Mutou for his work this semester with them, and wished him luck in his future studies. Not for the first time, Atem stayed behind and motioned for Marik not to wait for him. The other bronze boy left, not without making a very suggestive gesture while smirking Atem’s way. He sighed. If he had something to say to Yugi, this might be his last chance and, even though he did not quite know how to go about it, he did not want it to go to waste.

“So, this has been fun,” he started, repositioning his messenger bag higher on his shoulder.

“Indeed,” Yugi offered back. “Actually, if I could steal a little bit more of your time, I’d need some help with bringing these back to Doctor Samson’s office. I’m still sharing it for the next few days.”

Before he was even done, Atem had picked up one of the two boxes from the floor filled with files and stood next to him. “Lead the way,” he said with a bright smile.

Yugi picked the next box and they both left, walking outside to the next building where the History department shared office spaces. They climbed up to the second floor and Yugi unlocked and open the door to a large office with the blinds closed, shutting out the strong sun coming in threw the windows. “Just drop it next to the bookshelf there, I’ll handle it them later,” he suggested as he also deposited his box on the floor. When Atem stood back up after bending, he noticed how close they were and held his breath. He tried reading the emotions shifting into Yugi’s eyes, but he could not decipher them as they passed too quickly from one to another.

Was he imagining things or was Yugi breathing faster too?

He heard the other clear his throat and move away from him, heading for the desk. With a sigh that could also be interpreted as defeated, Atem opted to walk back to the door. Then Yugi spoke up, his voice slightly hesitant.

“Listen, if you ever want to talk more about Egyptology, or I don’t know, watch a few crime shows one night, my phone number is still on that curriculum from the beginning of semester…”

Oh.

_Oh._

_Oh!_

Atem had one hand on the handle, but he refrain from moving the door at all, instead choosing to tilt his head and angling his body towards the other leaning on the wooden desk.

“So hum, just to be sure, you’re not technically my “teacher” anymore, right?” he asked, insisting on the word.

Yugi looked back at him, arms still crossed, but pushing away from the desk, taking a few steps his way. “Nope.”

The other nodded briefly to himself and peel his messenger bag off his shoulder before letting it drop to the floor, not breaking eye contact. He pushed the door behind him, hearing the click as it closed into place. “And am I reading into this whole situation correctly?”

The T.A.’s eyes gleamed briefly, as he continued to close the distance between them. “Yup.”

Atem would have like to be the first one to move, but Yugi was faster. He pinned the other to the door with his body and held onto his face with both hands, making their lips meet in urgency. And it was everything Atem had been fantasying about for the whole semester.

Yugi’s lips were plump and soft from all the times he had seen him put on chapstick during class, and elsewhere. They were presently coaxing him in a kiss deepening as the seconds passed and he could not help but indulge. He wrapped one arm around the other’s waist, pulling them even closer, and cradled the side of his face with his other hand, tilting it for better connection. The body shift made the man in his arm moan and he opened his lips, a hungry tongue coming out to ask for entrance, and Atem was all to happy to make his own tongue dance with the other’s.

He felt a knee coming between his legs, slightly pulling them apart, and for a second, his breath caught in his throat as a thigh pushed against his groin, encouraging the current bulge building from the effects of their passionate kiss. Fortunately, he noticed from the hardness against his own thigh that he was not the only one very affected by their current predicament. The hand around Yugi’s waist left it and grabbed his butt instead, creating a grinding movement as he pulled it flush, eliciting another delicious moan from the older man that he swallowed with pleasure.

In retaliation, Yugi’s hands left his face and found his hips and the hem of his sweater, letting his fingers run free under it, touching skin in a way he could only describes as sinful as he managed to reach his ribs and lightly give them a soft scratch. Atem let go of the satisfying lips driving him wild and attacked Yugi’s neck with nibbles and licks, a hand working on opening the top button on his shirt to enable him to explore more of that pale luscious skin.

“You’re a feisty little thing, aren’t you?” Yugi whispered as his thumbs grazed at Atem’s nipples, earning him a short intake of breath from him.

Atem’s mouth unlatched from his neck and gave his ear lobe a quick nib. “You have no idea.”

Yugi let his fingers come back down, hooking them into the loops of Atem’s jeans and took the opportunity to pull Atem away from the door, guiding them backwards to the back of the office. The bronze-skinned boy seemed surprised at first, but followed the other willingly, hands setting on Yugi’s bottom, giving them a good squeeze. When they connected with the desk, Atem did not waste time and went back for another dose of those tantalizing lips already reddened from their previous activity. Tongues were already back out and he wondered if he would ever get enough of the taste he had craved ever since setting eyes of the T.A. One of Yugi’s hands went to the bulge still very present in Atem’s pants and palmed it with just enough pressure to draw a groan out of the younger man. Quickly, however, Yugi moved them again to his intended destination and dropped Atem on the large office chair behind the desk.

The movement disconnected their lips and Atem looked up from his now seated position to the beautiful amethyst-eyed man eyeing him with a lustful gaze through those large plastic rimmed glasses. He watched in delightful shock as Yugi bent and kneeled in front of him, his fingers reaching for his belt, unlooping it as he kept his eyes locked with the crimson ones of his former student.

“I can stop,” Yugi said as he unbuttoned his jeans with steady fingers.

“Please don’t,” Atem pleaded with desire laced in his words.

Yugi finished unzipping the pants restricting Atem’s arousal and pulled them down, the other lifting his hips to help him. For a short moment, Yugi still held Atem’s gaze as he let his hands roam onto the naked thighs now offered to him and pushed them apart before finally freeing the scarlet eyes from their hypnotic grip, and dipping down to give an open-mouth kiss to the side of one of the brown opened legs. The shiver that shook the young man’s body was so erotic that he repeated the action, hoping to elicit more of these reactions. He felt a hand reaching into his hair, just resting there lovingly, as he saw in his peripheral another hand gripping the chair’s leather arm tightly, fingernails digging into the material. He reached Atem’s core and gave a long and slow lick to the side of Atem’s member, before taking the tip into his mouth, risking a glance upwards.

Atem was looking at him, his eyes half-lidded, filled with so much lust he just wanted to eat the boy whole. Literally.

“These glasses are going to be the end of me…” he breathed out.

Yugi pulled his mouth away and smiled smugly, pushing the said glasses up on his nose. “Oh, so that’s what happened two weeks ago…”

Before Atem could replied anything, he engulfed him once again in his mouth and gave a strong suck, before starting a pumping motion, bobbing his head up and down, taking him deeper each time. The very intense ministrations on his lower body drove out a series of loud moans from the seated boy, as well as a well-placed curse hissed between his teeth. Yugi was so focused on making the other feel good that he momentarily forgot about a detail, but the faint sound of footsteps in the hallway brought him back to reality. He moved away once more and laid a soft finger on Atem’s lips, locking eyes with him, making sure he had his attention fully, even if he knew he was probably wrapped up in pleasure now.

“I know this is not ideal, but you’re going to have to be quieter,” he murmured before taking his finger off and replacing it with his lips while giving a carefully planned tug on Atem’s member, expertly supressing another moan from him.

Atem pressed the hand on the back of his head and deepened the kiss before pulling back only an inch away from him. “Understood,” he let out.

Yugi smiled before reassuming his position between the young man’s legs to continue what he was well set on finishing. He heard the leather shift as Atem’s head hit the back of the chair and watched in awe as the hand that had been griping the chair’s arm unlatched from it and went straight to the other’s mouth, trying to lock inside the wonderful noises he wished he could hear fully. Seeing Atem trying to control himself in his bliss was driving him crazy and he sucked harder to keep him in this state as long as he could.

He lead both his hands under the soft cheeks of Atem’s butt and kneaded them, and then tentatively, one hand headed in between and softly, one of his finger traced a gentle pattern lightly brushing the entrance trapped there. Atem did not shiver at this, he completely shook from arousal, his hips bucking, his member throbbing in Yugi’s mouth. The high-pitched moan was not completely subdued by the hand clasped on his mouth, but Yugi let it go as he continued to bob his head, swallowing Atem almost completely, all the while pressing small circles around his back hole. He could hear the man under him breathing heavy and the jerks in his hips becoming frantic, and he knew before the other spoke that he was getting close.

“Yugi…” the hand freed the mouth, before clamping down back on it promptly as Yugi deep-throated him, his member hitting the back of his mouth.

This was his undoing as he came hard into the older man’s mouth, gripping the hair on the back on the head pleasuring him. Yugi continued until he felt the last wave of orgasm wash over Atem and released him with a wet sound, his hands tracing a soothing pattern over his hips. He wiped his mouth with the back of his hand, getting rid of the saliva that had dripped on his chin, and smiled fondly at the young man. His flushed cheeks and slightly open mouth releasing his breath is short pants were both erotic and cute at the same time, and Yugi thought he would love to see that look on the other as often as he could from now on. He went for his pants to pull them back up, but Atem’s hands guided his face towards it and pressed their lips together in a bruising kiss, not giving a care in the world that Yugi had just given him oral.

“That was… kind of amazing,” Atem said when he released the other’s lips.

“Happy to oblige. I’ve been wanting to do that for a while now,” Yugi answered brushing their noses together in a very adorable gesture.

Atem smiled brightly as he repositioned his pants and rebuttoned them. He brushed his hair back and looked almost shy for a second. “I can return the favour if you’re up for it?”

“I’m very okay with our current situation, but… maybe later tonight?” the man now leaning against the desk offered with a smirk.

Atem took hold of one of his hands and kissed his knuckles, instantly making him blush from the tender touch. “So then can I take you out for a drink before?” he asked.

Still reeling from the heat the other just barely touching him gave him, Yugi took the hand more firmly in his and pulled to him Atem up from the chair. “I’ve already had a drink. Maybe dinner instead and dessert at your place or mine?”

Atem smiled smugly at his turn, pushing Yugi’s glasses back up his nose before dropping a deliberately sensual kiss on his jaw. “You’re a dirty little thing, aren’t you?”

“You have no idea,” Yugi countered.

Atem walked over to the door and picked up his abandoned bag, as Yugi did the same and joined him. He let him open the door and lock behind them, before both headed down the corridor towards the exit.

“So here’s an idea,” Atem mused. “There this new true crime series on Netflix and I know a very good Korean place that offers take-out…”

Yugi seemed to ponder over the suggestion. “I like where this is going, continue.”

“…and we could always switch it up and have dessert first?” the younger one proposed, eyeing his companion with a smirk.

Yugi simply laughed at the implication, and without any hesitation, he grabbed Atem’s hand and intertwined their fingers. “Sounds like a plan.”

With a light, sincere blush now tainting his cheeks, Atem bumped his shoulder with the other and chuckled, squeezing the hand now in his own.


	26. Prayer

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This piece is set immediately after the Frozen one (aka the reunion piece).  
> This is a different kind of scene, and is a direct love letter to my dear puzzleboys.
> 
> EDIT: I FINALLY FOUND THE SONG I WAS SEARCHING FOR TO MATCH THIS PIECE!  
> It's called Wilderness by Jon Bryant and you can listen to it here:  
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hZ_O7-I1F7s
> 
> Hope you'll enjoy it as much as I enjoyed writing it <3

Yugi believes the only reason how they make it home without kissing again is because of Kaiba’s icy glare fixed on them the whole way. Because if it was up to him, he would have kissed Atem until they both forget how to think.

He is torn between the want to know everything about Atem’s return, and his deep need to feel the other in every way possible. He needs to sense his presence against him, the reassurance that there is this beautiful golden boy with him, that he is not simply inside his mind anymore. He thinks that if he could, he would fuse with him as they both sit across the tall CEO in the back of the town car. He makes sure that every inch of his body connects with the one next to him, thigh against thigh, hand gripping hand, arm resting against arm, shoulders brushing. Even their feet are touching with their body slightly angled to one another.

When the car finally pulls to a stop in front of the game shop, he restrains himself from not simply jumping out and pulling the other with him, away from the outside world. He thanks Kaiba once again, promising that, yes, they would talk tomorrow, but that right now was not the perfect time to have this discussion. He feels giddy as he unlocks the door to the game shop, and Atem cannot stop smiling that perfect content smile, and he knows he feels the same excitement as him, the bubbly feeling bursting from his very skin.

They barely make it inside that they are back in each other’s arms, hidden from everyone this time, and they take each other’s breath away as they hold on to the other, squeezing and grasping and just touching. Yugi just wants to hold him, to make sure for the hundredth time that he is there and that he is not going to dissolve into thin air.

“I just…” Yugi whispers.

“I know,” Atem answers. “Me too.”

Even without a mind link, they do not need more words right now. Atem pulls back just enough to be able to gaze lovingly into the violet eyes he missed so much. He presses delicate hands on pale cheeks and just maintains this eye contact as his thumbs rub circles on jawbones, and fingers brush aside blonde bangs that keep falling back into place.

Yugi’s hands are still circling his waist, his eyes pouring into his, a thousand thoughts on the tip of his mind, and when he moves, it is to brush his nose to Atem’s, their breaths mingling, but their lips not touching. And Yugi realizes once again another truth, that this is the first time that they’re breathing the same air, sharing the same atmosphere and everything once again comes slamming down on his heart. This is somehow more than enough and just too much at the same time.

He takes Atem’s hands and guides them to his chest, pressing them against his own heart, wishing their presence might slow its beat, because he feels like it is so off-course that it might never recover from it. Fingers grasp at his sweater then palms flatten and he reminds himself to breathe, to slow down. So he grabs Atem’s hand and guides him upstairs, and he guesses Atem feels the same need of closeness because he stays so close to Yugi the whole way to his room, his other hand latching onto his back and his body pressed against his.

They know they will have a lot of explaining to do in the morning to the two other people living in the same quarters, but right now, their minds and bodies are elsewhere and they stumble as quietly as possible into the bedroom, closing the door behind themselves. Yugi turns to face Atem and he does not know if he wants to kiss him senseless or ripe his clothes off, so instead of moving forward, he just waits and looks before tentatively bringing trembling fingers to the zipper of Atem’s hoodie, his hoodie. Atem grabs them as they reach their destination, fumbling around and guides them downwards, opening the sweater, revealing more skin as he then shrugs it off completely.

Yugi thinks it is the most beautiful thing he’s ever witness, and he believes it without a doubt.

At first, he does not touch, he wants to heighten every single one of his senses one at a time and he starts with what he can see, what the gods have decided to offer him.

Atem is an ocean of bronze skin, from the tip of his angular nose down to his waist. It is not the first time he sees it, but it is the first time he takes all the time in the world to observe it. He knows his hair, tricoloured like his. He knows his eyes, cat-like irises the colour of the richest wines. He knows the dimples that form when he smiles and the blush that forms when he is the person under Yugi’s intense gaze. He knows the small scar above his left eyebrow and the one right next to the bone connecting his shoulder where someone once tried to stab him, a lifetime ago. He knows the dip of his bellybutton and the sharp contrast of those beautiful hipbones. He knows all of this, but he rediscovers it. Seeing Atem, but looking at the tangible him for the first time.

When his eyes are saturated enough, he closes them and breathes in, because now Atem has a distinctive smell. Yugi takes it all in as he buries his nose into the junction between his neck and shoulder, close to the pulsing pressure point that makes the scent come alive. Something amongst the lines of sandalwood, and juniper berries, with a dash of firewood that reminds him of drafts you get on your clothes after a night spent next to a campfire. He smells of heat on a hot summer day, of dunes of sands swept by the desert breeze, of fresh water from a well-needed oasis. He smells of comfort from a steaming cup of coffee, of warmth from a thickly woven blanket, of sweetness from freshly baked bread.

Because he likes being fair, he lets Atem unbutton his shirt and push it aside along with his vest, letting them both fall to the ground. Hands brush against his waist and settled for a comfortable spot on his lower back, but they simply lay there. He feels the inhale of breath from the other, memorizing all these new sensations too. He wonders if Atem finds the same comfort in his scent, if this feels so much like belonging as much as it does to Yugi.

Then he raises tentative fingers to Atem face and glides them delicately, learning the curves he only touched spiritually before. Touching him in their soul rooms and touching him in reality is so different it almost overwhelms him. He feels the softness of his cheeks, the plump of his lips and the barely there stubble on his chin, before dipping his fingers along the crevices of his exposed neck to his squared shoulders. He feels the goosebumps his fingers leave behind as he presses them into the muscles of his arms down to his wrist, where he lingers to feel the heartbeat pulsing through. He brings it to his lips and kisses it so softly, feeling the rhythm through his lips, like feasting on the realness of the moment, reassuring himself that this is in fact very real.

He wants to keep touching, but that heartbeat destabilizes him and he cannot focus on anything else. He lays his head against Atem’s firm chest and just listen to that drumming noise, accelerating and then slowly decreasing to match his own one. The inhales and exhales make the chest rise against his cheek and he finds comfort in the presence of the other’s breath in his hair. There is a sound to that breath that mixes with the beat of his heart and it creates the most enticing melody.

Atem guides them backwards to the bed in the corner of the room, under the moonlight streaming through the skylight above them. He sits down and traps Yugi between his legs, resting his forehead on his belly in a such a caring way that Yugi thinks the smile on his face might become permanent. He dips a kiss and he deals with the button and zipper of the jeans and pulls them down to his ankles, and Yugi gladly gives a hand to get rid of them.

He hears the sharp intake of breath and feels the brush of nervous fingers on his hipbone, instantly reminding him of what he hides from the rest of the world and keeps to himself like a precious treasure. Because it truly is a treasure that they worked very hard to acquire. Together.

“When did you do this?” Atem’s voice is barely above a whisper, filled with so much emotion that it takes Yugi’s ability to breathe adequately away.

“As soon as I was back from Egypt,” he manages to respond after a while.

A thumb traces the familiar symbols inked on his hip where they usually lay, hidden by clothes. Five symbols that represent everything to him. Then lips follow and he feels them kiss each symbol one by one, and the kisses feel like they are being burnt even more into the tender skin. Then there is a sharp bite and a hard suck next to them as Atem brands him, like he always did when they were together in the safety of their soul room. The mark would always disappear as Yugi awoke in the real world, but this one, this one will stay and he is sure Atem will make sure it is always there.

Yugi takes Atem’s face into his hands and brings it back up and bents down to meet him, trying to kiss every inch of his face, but his lips, because he knows that when he does so, he won’t be able to stop anymore. With a hand lightly touching Atem’s shoulder, he pushes him onto the bed, the other hand reaching for the pants’ opening and managing it with some difficulty until he gets it done. He watches as the other raises his hips from the bed and helps him take off his pants so that, when he crawls on him tenderly, there is now only skin.

Yugi lays half on Atem, half on the bed, their legs intertwined and their eyes meeting again, the only sounds a mix of heartbeats and breaths. Yugi guides the other’s hands to his lips and takes the time to kiss every single one of his knuckles, before letting the hands fall between them and kissing that round shoulder up to the collarbone, in no hurry at all. He minds searches for the right taste that is lingering on his lips, but he cannot quite put his finger on it. So he finally dives on Atem’s lips, very softly at first, and he hears the hum of joy from him, before deepening the kiss and falling down into a black hole of sensation. He is so focused on tasting the other he does not know how his hands manage to make it to his other self’s neck, or how Atem’s hand make it to the small of his back.

When he kissed him for the first in this reality, out in front of the police station, it was perfect, but this is even better, because nothing, absolutely nothing can break the flow of flavors that Yugi will now forever associate with Atem. He thinks that if morning sunlight had a taste, this sure would be it. A mix of spicy cinnamon waking up his palate, an aftertaste of warm French toasts cooked in melted butter, a tingle of bitterness from coffee, and a burst of life from orange slices. It is addictive and Yugi feeds up on it like a junkie.

There is no battle of dominance, no one taking control, just tongues meeting one another, brushing against lips and gliding in unison like two rehearsed dancers. Yugi does not know how long they spend just kissing each other completely until they break out for air, and then get right back into it like they actually need it more than air. Their bodies are welded together like two hot iron rods, made to fit, as two pieces of the same puzzle.

When it eventually slows down, Atem brushes their nose together, heavily hesitating, wanting to just bask in the glory of the lips an inch away from him, but there’s another need he craves.

“Partner…” he murmurs against the other’s mouth.

Eyes open and, in his heart, the shade of amethyst in Yugi’s irises could not be more beautiful than it is now.

“Make love to me.”

It is not a request, nor a question. It feels more like a wish that begs to be granted and Yugi does not even hesitate in his acceptance of fulfilling it. “Yes, Other Me.”

He knows this is going to be different, that he needs to take his time, but he wants to take all the time in the world. There is a trust in Atem’s crimson eyes that tells him that there is nothing he could do to break that trust. He would never dream of it, and he just wants to solidify it even more if he can.

He reaches into the nightstand and pulls out a small bottle, making sure to keep touching Atem as much as he can. It is not as if this is new, but it also is, because they have never been with each other in this reality, and suddenly, it scares Yugi, sending a violent shiver down his spine. Clutching the bottle, he hides his face in the crook of Atem’s neck. The boy under him soothes him with calm touches in his hair and on his back, humming comforting sounds like a tranquil lullaby. He takes the bottle from his hand and brings that same hand to his mouth, filling with kisses, then carefully closing the fingers back around the bottle and Yugi takes a deep breath, bringing his racing heart to a more subdued rate.

He shifts in his position, keeping his gaze lock unto the other’s has his coated finger search blindly for the right spot and plunges inside slowly. He monitors Atem’s reactions, making sure to spot any discomfort, as he starts to stretch him and the flush of pleasure on his face reassures him. He adds another finger, continues his work with a scissoring motion before reaching further, curling his fingers in search of the specific spot he knows will make the other moan even though they’ve been trying to keep as quiet as they can, in fear of awaking someone and being interrupted. He sees the change of feeling on his other self’s face and quickly swallows that moan building up in his throat with a kiss, but keeps hitting the spot, also knowing he’s found it from the hips lifting from the bed, reaching for the right angle. With his mouth still attached to Atem’s, he pushes a third finger in, making sure they slide in without a hitch and dives them in and out in a rhythmic motion, noticing that his bronze companion’s breathing is coming in sharper pants as he goes.

He withdraws his fingers and uses them to spread more lube of his own arousal, all the while reaching down with his mouth to engulf one of the brown nipples perked on the Atem’s chest. His still slicked hand finds his partner’s member and pumps it slowly, and slides his thumb on the slit at the tip, taking the time to drive pleasure deep into him. After giving attention to both nipples, Yugi’s face comes back to his lover’s and lets go of him, using his now freed hand to align himself with Atem’s entrance. The other pushes against him and nods as Yugi’s eyes ask the question for him. He pushes inside him and he once again takes ownership of his lips and kisses him senseless as he fills him slowly, giving him time to adjust to the new sensation.

They soon finds their rhythm and there’s nothing else in the world but them. Yugi covers Atem with his body, his forehead resting against his, one arm resting next to his face and a hand anchoring his hips and guiding them to a steady paste. As their eyes speak of unconditional love and affection, Yugi’s lips whisper words over and over again, like a prayer, to any god that ever decided to give them this chance to finally be together in the same lifetime.

“I love you, I love you, I love you…”

And Atem just takes everything him, and gives it back with the same fervour in gestures and sweet murmurs.

“I love you, I love you, I love you…”

And it’s everything. Sight, smell, touch, sound, taste. It feels complete. For the first time, they feel complete.

Like two pilgrims searching for faith, they worship each other to completion. They indulge in the afterglow until there is nothing left in between them but the leftovers of the walls that kept building up between them. They wrecked every single one of them with their bare hands, and nothing and no one can ever take that away from them.

They do not really care that they made a mess, sweat and all. Yugi pulls out, but does not pull away and Atem does not let him move any further than a few inches from him. When their breathing settles back down, they push the exhaustion away just long enough to clean up and reunite under the covers of Yugi’s single bed. Tonight, they do not need more space than what it offers, they have no intention of letting go of each other.

They have so much to talk about, but not right now. Yugi only wants to know one thing for sure.

“You’re staying for good this time?”

“I’m not going anywhere. Ever,” is Atem’s reply and it is the only reply he will ever need.

The next morning, Atem is still there, tangled up in him.

And he’s there the following mornings too.

And he gets his name tattooed in kanji on his hip.

And he stays.

For good.


	27. Answers

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> YEEEEEEESSSSS it is done! So you may have noticed that these snippets started with around 600 words, and then somehow, things got a little out of hand and they got longer and longer and longer, but I DON'T REGRET ANYTHING!  
> This is an AU, a bit more action based, but not much. I just love banter so much, and when the idea hit me, I used it fully and I might even write a sequel to this after Puzzle June :)
> 
> Just wanted to say thank to all of my collab supporters who encouraged me through the last few prompts! You guys are AWESOME!
> 
> Enjoy!

To say Yugi was exhausted was an understatement.

He felt drained, completely empty, as he set foot into his apartment, being careful to immediately lock the door as soon as he was in, a habit he had picked up in the last year. He had made the mistake once and… he would not make that mistake again.

Having to deal with an intruder while you were right in the middle of your shower time and stark naked was really not ideal.

Speaking about shower, now was probably a good time to take one, seeing as he was covered in dirt and sweat from his last endeavour, curtesy of his boss. He never did know why he would end up on field missions when he was technically suppose to hide in the shadows. His boss kept insisting he was the best, which he deep down knew. He was trained both for the field and for support as he should, but he did not enjoy having to run from things everywhere and get in trouble while his almighty patron mostly just left him to deal with his own problems all the freaking time.

Being the sidekick of an evil mastermind sucked.

Not that he really had a choice in the matter.

“Not thinking about that now or again…” he muttered to himself as he headed for the bathroom.

He peeled his dirty clothes of him and turned the faucet to a decent temperature before climbing into the shower. Het let the water wash the mud stains on his hands and face before trying to untangle his hair with his fingers. He sighed as he rested his forehead against the now warmed tiles. It was not like he hated his job, he just hated who he had to do it for. He liked the technical aspect of it, the pirating and the hacking, but also the thrill of the physical part of his task. Running and jumping off rooftops, and catching his breath before getting back to the safety of a hideout. He knew he would appreciate it even more if only he was not treated like another casualty if need be. And what bugged him the most was knowing fully that he was on the wrong side of the tracks, not really helping the people who actually needed help.

Chasing his thoughts down the drain with the rest of the dirt and soap sods, he turned the water off and got out. Even thought his body and part of his mind was exhausted, another part of him was awake from the adrenaline rush he had gained from their “mission” tonight. Besides, his stomach was growling from his skipped dinner and he was pretty sure there was a glass of wine with his name on it to drown his morality in tonight.

He quickly changed into a way too long and large navy buttoned-up night shirt over only a pair of boxers and walked barefoot to the kitchen. He proceeded to heat up some leftover pasta from the previous evening and poured himself that glass of red whine, quickly taking a long and well-deserved sip.

That was when he noticed something was amiss.

“Sekmet?” he called out.

The usual soft subdued sound of paws did not manifest itself as it always did, nor did the tinkling of the little belt his companion wore around her neck. The microwave behind him beeped, but he ignored it, scanning the room for the familiar black cat that shared his life. He walked from behind the counter, his glass of wine still in his hand and called her out again. Still nothing.

He went back to his bedroom to see if maybe she had fallen asleep on the bed like she sometimes did, and god knew no one could move her while she slept. However, what he did not expect to find was someone sitting there and holding his cat on his lap, petting her and getting the calmest purrs out of her.

“Hello dear.”

He watched as the hooded man, at least he assumed it was a man from the deep baritone he had just heard, dropped the cat next to him and stood up. Yugi froze on the spot, a pretty normal reaction, but his senses kicked him immediately as a reflex from his training. He shattered the wine glass against the closest wall and held the now pointed lethal stem towards the other. He spotted movement behind him and felt arms grab him. Swiftly, he aimed a back heel kick at the shin of his assailant while jabbing the glass stem of his broken glass in the arm holding his upper body. The man behind him yelped in pain and instantly let go of him to grab his hurt arm, and Yugi did not waste a second.

He ran back to the kitchen and spotted the knife block, aiming to grab any of them to defend himself. He turned around and his arm was cut in mid-motion, twisted just enough for him to drop the knife that was kicked away from him as soon as it hit the ground. The hooded man now in front of him swiped his leg under his and he ended up falling to the ground right on his butt. He was then pushed completely with his back on the floor and a gloved hand landed on his mouth, preventing any word or scream from coming out. The other sat on his pelvis, his knees framing his hips and his legs securing his own, preventing them from kicking.

Yugi tried to pull the hand away from his mouth and push his captor away at the same time and missed the glistening of a needle being jabbed into his neck. He squeezed his eyes shut at the sting, but opened them back up in a panic. All he could focus on was a pair of scarlet eyes watching him with curiosity and a flash of regret.

“Sorry it had to come to this,” said the main above him.

Yugi was still trying to put up a fight and trash under him as he felt the effect of the drug he had been injected. His muscles were slowly not responding to his mental commands anymore and his eyes were getting loopy as he tried to keep them open. The hand on his mouth pulled away as his arms fell limply to the floor next to his head. The man got up from him and pulled him up into his arms before hoisting him on his shoulder like a rag doll.

Yugi caught sight of Sekmet calmly watching him and licking her paw as he let the sleepiness take over him.

***

When he came to, his vision was still blurry, but he could make out a light source of his left. It was like a warm glow in his peripheral, but the rest was still very much out of focus. He tried gathering as much information as his body would give him in the next following seconds.

He was sitting on a sturdy wooden chair, both his hands tied behind his back with handcuffs from the tinkling sound he got when he tried to move them, but the metal encircling his wrists was covered so it did not dig into them as much as he had thought.

His feet were also bound to the legs of the chair, but with large cloth bands around his ankles, tight enough for his legs to be unable to move at all. He was uncomfortable for sure, but not as much as he thought this position would bring. He was a bit cold from the lack of clothing to cover his lower body and his feet, but the worst thing was the dryness in his mouth.

“Hey sleeping beauty.”

A hand reached under his chin and lifted it softly, a bottle of water brought to his lips. He jerked his head away to the side, a few drops of cold water falling on his thighs.

“I know I have not given you any reason to trust me, but this is just water and I know you must be thirsty…”

It was the same voice he had heard in his bedroom, and now that he was focusing on it, he could tell it was somehow familiar, but he could not pinpoint exactly where he had heard it. Yugi turned his head back in the direction of his captor. He was still covered with that dark hood, and the dim lighting of the room could not help him making out any distinct features of the shadowed face. The hand went for his chin again, tilting it upwards and the bottle was back at his lips. He downed down a couple of refreshing gulps before taking in a deep breath. He did not know whether to thank the man or not, so he opted for the silent approach.

The other capped the bottle and placed it on the same table that homed the light, and he brought another wooden chair right in front of Yugi, sitting down on it.

“So… I’ve got questions,” he started.

Yugi kept his gaze on him, defiantly. “I doubt I have answers.”

“Well, then, shall we start at the beginning?” the hooded man offered.

Amethyst eyes grew wide from recognition. The voice, the crimson eyes. No, it could not be…

“Atem?”

A hand reached for the hood and pulled it off. “Hello Yugi.”

***

He was not one for the bar scene at all, but he had another really long day and every other place to get any decent quality alcohol were closed at that time. He needed a glass of wine, and he was not about to let go of that need soon.

He was sitting at the bar enjoying his glass of Chardonnay when he caught sight of a very loud blonde calling for a round of shots, obviously in toes with the bartender who smiled and joked with him. What really caught his eye was the man sitting next to him, a gorgeous individual with bronze skin and what seemed to be a permanent smirk glued to his lips, nursing a bottle of beer.

Now there was no way Yugi would move on a stranger in a bar, that was absolutely not something he had ever done or would ever think about doing, especially with his line of work. However, his eyes lingered a second too long and the other looked his way, locking his gaze with his. Yugi felt a blush of embarrassment cover his face and quickly returned his eyes to his drink, set on ignoring the other for the reminder of his glass.

Then he sensed someone taking the stool right next to his and knew that things would not really happened the way he wanted.

“Drinking wine in a dive bar, you must have a death wish,” the voice next to him offered.

Yugi snickered at the comment before lifting his gaze.

“I’ve seen worse places than this one, so I took a wild guess,” he replied.

Then he noticed the beautiful colour of the eyes looking back at him, garnet like some of the most luxurious wines he had ever tasted. For a moment, he was completely lost in them and he shook his head slightly.

“I’m sorry, your eyes are just…” he stated.

The other man chuckled. “Like you’re one to talk. What colour are they, like purple?”

Yugi smiled because he indeed had a very rare eye colour too. “Yeah, they are.”

The other man held out his hand in invitation. “I’m Atem.”

“Yugi,” he answered, shaking the hand that had a wonderful warmth to it.

He pulled his hand away before the temptation to let it linger with the other overtook him. He did not know if what he said next was to try to get the invidual away from him as soon as possible or he was mostly trying to convince himself it had to be done.

“Just so we’re clear, I have no intention of leaving this bar with you at any point in the evening.”

The gorgeous man just chuckled lightly and kept looking at him.

“I have absolutely no problem with that,” he replied, taking a sip of his beer. “My friend is getting drunker by the minute, and this means I’m loosing a coherent conversation partner.”

Yugi smiled at Atem, internally debating for a second before sighing while playing with the stem of his wine glass.

“Alright, I can indulge you for the rest of my glass, but I’m afraid that’s it.”

Somehow, they ended up falling almost too easily in a very casual conversation. Atem wanted to know what had brought Yugi to a bar he clearly had never set foot in, and they talked about how their respective jobs were so demanding, Yugi explaining he worked mostly in technical support with an awful boss and Atem saying his own line of work in a law firm as an assistant was driving him nuts.

“Wait, you work in a law firm and you come here for a drink?” Yugi asked, curiosity lacing his words.

“Truth be told, I might wear a suit at work, but I don’t hang with people wearing them outside of work. Not really my cup of tea,” Atem explained.

“So when you’re not not suiting up, you’re this really down-to-earth guy who likes cheap beer and… let me guess? Take-out food and Netflix?” the purple-eyed man offered.

“And games and having nice conversations with strangers in dive bars,” the other completed.

Yugi laughed and finished his last sip of wine. “I’m not a stranger by now, you know my name.”

Atem pushed his empty beer bottled away from him and looked at Yugi, a bit uncertain, before shrugging with a smile. “Still, I had to start somewhere.”

Yugi ended up ordering a second glass of wine after that, and Atem did the same. The conversation moved to a number of random topics, for which street vendor had the best tacos around to which tv shows had shaped the recent decade of television, and it was just so… easy. And Atem had not try to make a move on, he just talked and, even though it surprised Yugi, it almost made him feel very happy and relaxed.

Yugi looked at the time and groaned. His boss expected him early in the morning, and he had half a mind to call in sick to sleep in, but also to spite him. However, he knew better. He paid for his glasses of wine and turned his way to his companion, not quite sure how to handle this part of the conversation. Atem did it for him.

“Well, then, shall we do this again?”

Yugi bit his lower lip before retorting. “I told you-“

Atem laid his hand on his and found his gaze. “Indulge me. Just another drink. Tomorrow night. This was fun and you know it.”

They did meet the following night. And had been meeting for drinks every couple of days, always both leaving to go back to their respective places alone at the end of the evening after talking the night away. Each time, Yugi had to mentally refrain himself from reflecting too much on the situation. There had been the accidental touches and the lingering gazes, but even if a huge part of him wanted this to maybe become more, his ‘line of work’ always pulled him away. So he kept it at that, and the other had not pushed for more out of respect. Up until last week, when Atem had excused himself via a short text message.

***

Yugi felt like someone had punched him in his guts. Anger took over him.

“You bastard! You played m-“

The rest of his insults were muffled by a hand covering his mouth, not gloved this time, and Atem was gazing straight into his eyes with a deep seriousness.

“I didn’t know,” he simply said. “I didn’t know until last week. That’s why I canceled.”

Amethyst eyes filled with betrayal and they tore themselves away from the ones trying to communicate with him.

“I’ll explain, but you have to let me talk and try not to yell me at me. Deal?”

Yugi still would not look back at him, but he nodded in defeat. He would prefer an explanation and it did not look like he was going anywhere soon.

“Jou and I went to that bar that night to let go after a long day. When I saw you looking at me across the bar, I felt intrigued and I kind of wanted a distraction. And damn, weren’t you the best distraction ever!”

Yugi snapped dryly. “Just get to the point, no need to sugar-coat things.”

Atem leaned back into his chair and folded his arms. “Just calling it like it is. Anyway, we met and we talked, and I wanted it to happen again, and I know you did too, or you wouldn’t have agreed to meet up all those following times.”

Purple eyes finally turned his way, but they were filled with annoyance. “I don’t know what you are trying to achieve here, but may I remind you that you kidnapped me and that I am currently handcuffed to a chair?”

The bronzed boy sighed. “Getting there, just wanted to make sure you understood that I did not seek you and play you for a fool.”

“That still remains to be seen…” the other muttered.

Atem crossed a leg over the other one, talking a deep breath before returning to his explanation. “Jou and I are also teammates, outside of work. We work in the shadows very illegally, but I’m pretty sure you got it from the current situation. It appears you and I are both of different sides of the track however. I had no idea you were working for Maximilien Pegasus until last week, which leads us to now.”

Yugi raised an eyebrow at the mention once again of the last week. “What do you mean you had no idea? How did you find out?”

“Well, dear, I recognized you from that very specific eye colour when you slipped through my fingers after landing that well-placed jab to my throat…”

The other could feel the annoyance reaching a higher level as tiredness was still very much present in his system. “What are you tal-“ he stared asking before cutting himself abruptly. “No.”

Crimson eyes bore into his, with nothing but honesty. “Yes.”

***

Atem was running towards the basement where he knew most of the security network was hidden. Jou and Marik had stayed behind to take care of any security guards that would block their path and stop them on their mission. He put the tiny USB drive between his teeth as he used both his hands to remounted quick draw tranquilizer bolts on his wrist crossbow. As soon as he was done, he ran down the stairs, jumping for levels when he could skip a few steps, to try and get there as quickly as possible.

He stopped dead in his tracks when he noticed the door to the security department was already ajar and he ducked behind the nearest vantage point. He could perceive no sound or movement in the room. He turned on his night vision goggles and entered carefully, scanning the room for an outsider, but also for the specific computer base Ryou had shown him on the plans.

He promptly made his way to it and plugged the USB drive right into the correct slot, before hitting the speaker function on his wireless earbud.

“Done,” he simply stated.

“Give me a few seconds… We’re in and you’re out, Pharaoh,” he heard back.

“Tell Thoth and Anubis to meet me outside,” he replied before suddenly sensing movement behind him.

He swiftly turned around and aimed an arrow that whizzed before piercing the back on a small hand laptop. Behind the laptop was a man wearing all black, pants, sweater, backpack and beanie included, that ran out of the room immediately, letting the computer drop on the floor. Shortly taken aback by the presence of the other, Atem reacted a few seconds after and dove right after him.

It seemed the other knew his way around the building because he had opted to stay in the basement instead of running up back the stairs. He followed the sounds of the hurried footsteps and spotted the emergency exit door at the end of the corridor. He was not that far away from the other, he surely would be able to catch him even they made it out of the building. The man in front of him pressed a card on the keypad next to the door, opened it hurriedly, and tried to get it to close before Atem could get out.

However, Atem must have been slightly stronger than the other and, using his running momentum, he pushed the door, making the individual stumble and fall on the other side of the door. As he scrambled to get up as fast as he could, Atem tackled him, his chest pressing against the back of his witness.

“Let me go!” he heard from under him.

He grabbed the side of the body and turned it on his back, wanting to face the man who had also been sneaking around in the company basement and he froze.

Two amethyst eyes quickly darted away as the man under him freed one of his arms from his grip and punched him right in the throat, knocking the air out of him and he fell to the side, completely letting go of the other.

He watched helplessly at the man ran straight for the woods, expertly climbing and jumping over the fence, before disappearing in the cover of the trees. He heard his two acolytes running towards him, wondering if he was okay before helping him back up.

He noticed a card on the ground, one that must have fallen during their struggle, and he picked it up. His eyes grew even wider than he thought, especially after recognizing the man that had just gotten away from him.

It was a playing card engraved with the sign of Industrial Illusion, the crime organization created and run by Maximilien Pegasus.

Well fuck.

***

Yugi was still looking at him in disbelief. “Shit, you’re The Pharaoh.”

Atem uncrossed his arms and smirked. “In the flesh.”

The tied man still could not wrap his head around what he has just learned. “You’re the leader of the Team Millenium, the vigilante group?”

The Egyptian laid his elbows on his thighs and rested his chin on his open palms, sporting a very curious and also kind of childish smile. “And you are technically one of my enemies.”

Yugi once again raised his eyebrow at him, the annoyance back on his face. “And you’ve got me half naked in a darkened room, if we’re stating the obvious.”

Suddenly, Atem just straight out laughed for a few seconds before coming back to their exchange. “I knew you could put up a fight, but you are more of a spitfire than I gave you credit for. Not that I’m that surprised, more like delighted.”

The other tried not to make a habit of it, but Atem kept baffling him in his last retorts. “If I didn’t know any better, I’d say you were trying to flirt with me.”

And then Atem winked at him, playfully. “Maybe.”

Yugi sighed and shook his head. He knew he should not feel flattered at the moment, but he could not help it. “You do realise this is far from an ideal situation to do so.”

His counterpart back away and went back to his crossed arm position, sitting more stiffly. “So let’s go back to the main topic, then. I’m a vigilante and you’re working with Industrial Illusions.”

He flexed his fingers that were staring to feel numb and rolled his shoulder to relieve some of the pressure on his upper body. “If you want to be technical about it, I’m being forced to work for Pegasus. That’s as far as my involvement with them goes.”

“Define forced,” his captor asked.

Yugi was now more consciously looking at him. “Long story short, my grandpa got screwed in a deal and ended up owing a lot of money to Pegasus. After my gramps died, he demanded that I be the one to pay my family’s debt by working for him.”

“You do realise Pegasus played you, right?”

Yugi sighed and continued. “Of course. So I ended up thinking I’d be doing mostly computer work in his company, but soon, I found out what was really happening between those walls, and I could not do anything about it really. He pushed me into doing some of his dirty work, and I gritted my teeth through it. I thought that maybe if I’d gather enough intel, I’d eventually be able to turn him in or something, but I was in way too deep over my head, it seems.”

Atem nodded. “I’m kind of relieved by this. It fits with what we have on file for you.”

Yugi had a half a mind to look impressed by this. “You have a file on me?”

The other smirked before answering. “As of last week, we do.”

Purple eyes were still engaged in the conversation, hoping to get answers for his current predicament. “So why did you go through all that trouble and kidnap me?”

“Can’t be too careful in this line of work. Besides, your place was rigged with bugs and we couldn’t have Pegasus finding out about this just yet,” Atem confessed.

“I do you know it was rigged?” Yugi raised an eyebrow at the implication.

The Egyptian once more laid his elbows on his thighs, letting his hands meet loosely between his knees. “We surveyed the place before last night.” He snickered at his next comment. “You really have got to get a better lock.”

The pale man rolled his eyes. “I have got to get a better place.” 

“We can take care of that. I can have a team retrieve you belongings and find you a safer place,” Atem offered with a casual shrug.

“And my cat,” Yugi supplied.

At that, the other’s lips curved into a devious smile. “The cat’s already here.”

He looked quite surprised at the fact. “What? Why?”

“Malik took it as collateral damage for the nice cut you gave him on his arm. She seems to like him enough,” Atem chuckled while supplying the information.

“That traitor…” Yugi muttered under his breath.

Once again, the crimson eyes looking at him flickered with affection. “I think the funniest thing about this was that Malik didn’t know whether to be annoyed or impressed at your little stunt.”

“Sorry, not sorry?” he responded, shrugging innocently.

Atem sat down cross-legged on the floor and his hands went to one of the restrains on Yugi’s ankles, gently untying it. “Again, sorry about the kidnapping thing. I’ll just…” he stated as one leg was freed, but he kept it in his hands, rubbing his thumbs softly against the skin that had been compressed to the chair. He then did the same to the other ankle, making Yugi tilt his head sideways to try and hide a light blush that appeared from the tender gesture.

Atem brought his attention right back to him. “I’m guessing Pegasus took interest in your impressive MIT degree and its connected activities, as well as your jiujutsu black belt and your gymnastics background.” Yugi eyed him suspiciously for a second. “Told you. I did some research the last few days. Pretty impressive indeed.”

Yugi smiled smugly at that comment. “What can I say? I’m quite the catch.”

The bronzed man returned his smile with a smirk. “Now who’s flirting?”

If he did not know better, he thought this was heading away from the topic of their ‘business’ relations again, and threading into a very different territory. “Just stating the obvious once again.”

He could perceive Atem’s swallowing for the slight movement in his throat as he took back a seat on his chair before he locked eyes again with him. “So let’s make this clear. You work for him, but you don't actually work with him.”

Yugi’s voice was barely a whisper at that point as the man in front of him inched closer slowly, but surely, not reaching the edge of his seat. “That about sums it up. Truthfully, I have been trying to sabotage him behind his back, but don’t tell him that. Can you uncuff me now?”

Atem’s voice had also dropped lower and the playfulness was still there, but there was also a dash of that underlying affection easily piercing through his tone. “I don’t know yet. I can think of a few other uses of this situation.”

The lustful look Atem suddenly sent him made delicious shivers crawl down his spine. It all came rushing down into him, knowing that he was in no danger in this situation, easing the tension in his body but upping the sexual tension that had been there ever since they had met at that bar a few weeks ago.

Atem laid one hand on his knee and Yugi sucked in a breath. “You’re not playing fair.”

The hand crawled up slowly from his knee, inching upwards on his naked thigh, a thumb playing with the hem of the nightshirt laying there. “I never was known for playing fair.”

Yugi was having trouble controlling his heartbeat at that point and he was pretty sure he was getting flushed from the heat he felt in his face. “Yeah, but this is basically like cheating.”

“And why is that?” Atem questioned.

The purple-eyed man swallowed deeply at his turn and averted the other’s gaze by looking down. “Because you are amazingly hot, and you and I both know it,” he said.

Fingers lifted his chin so their eyes would meet again. “Not a bad answer. But you are also a very attractive specimen yourself,” Atem replied.

Atem’s lips were inches away from his and he shifted his gaze to them, nervously licking his bottom lip before biting it. “What are you doing?” Yugi questioned even if he knew where this was heading.

He felt Atem speak as much as he heard him at that point, as close as they were. “What I’ve been wanting to do this since that first night at the bar.”

As soon as Atem’s lips were on his own, Yugi gave in willingly with a breathy moan. The hand on his thigh griped tighter and another one sneaked behind his neck, deepening the contact between them. He caught Atem’s bottom lip between his teeth and bit softly, drawing a groan out of his kisser, and tentatively licked the bite with the tip of his tongue. The second that happened, Atem pushed his own tongue inside Yugi’s mouth, taking over the kiss, using the hand on the back of his neck to tilt his head to a better angle. Yugi’s toes curled against the carpeted floor and he reflexively pulled on the handcuffs. Knowing fully that he could not do more in his situation, he let the other kiss him senseless, welcoming the invading tongue and tasting the exquisite flavour of the Egyptian vigilante indulging him.

Atem pulled away a moment later and smiled at the sight of a very flushed Yugi with lips reddened and wet from their kiss, and eyes half-lidded. He just wanted to go back for another dose of those lips, but he stopped himself, pulling away a couple of inches to avoid the temptation.

He cleared his throat to get his bearings back together. “I’d like to offer you a position on my team. You must have information we could use against Industrial Illusions, but mostly, I’d like to get you out of that hellhole.”

Yugi, who was still struggling to get his breathing rhythm back on track, almost choked. “Really, we’re going to discuss this right after you shoved your tongue down my mouth?”

Atem found himself liking the man in front of him even more by the second, and smiled. “I sure have your full attention, so I’d say this is a very good time.”

“Why?” Yugi simply asked.

The other cupped his face and gave him a quick peck. “Obviously one, I like you. Two, you are one of the good guys in this, and three, Pegasus’s an asshole using you the way he does.”

The seated man tried to follow the lips as they retreated again. “Pegasus’s an asshole, period.”

The smirk was back on Atem’s lips. “I’m glad we agree on something.”

Yugi searched his eyes and there was a small flicker of hesitation in them. “But I just can’t stop working for him like that, he’ll kill me, or at least try.”

The bronzed man caressed his cheekbones with his thumbs before letting go of his face and reaching into his pants pocket. “Let him try, we can handle him. After all, like you said, you’re quite a catch.”

An eyebrow raised over the set of purple eyes looking back at him. “You make it sound like I already said yes.”

Atem produced a key from his pocket and walked behind his chair, reaching for the handcuffs. “Haven’t you?”

There was a short click before Yugi felt his hands finally free from their prison and he brought them to the front to rub his tensed wrists. His captor-no-more walked back around him and, as soon as he was in sight, the pale man wasted no time and pushed him down on the other chair as he swiftly climbed on him, legs straddling his thighs, hands fisted in his hooded jackets. Atem was stunned for a minute, but quickly registered the lips pressed back against his and responded to the assault. This time, he let Yugi take over and enjoyed the sensation of that flexible man on top of him. He let his hands traveled to the pair of slim boxers covering that ass he had wanted to touch so badly. He gripped it possessively, eliciting a deep moan from Yugi that rumbled in their kiss.

Yugi broke the kiss, his teeth dragging on Atem’s bottom lip. “I feel at a disadvantage here with you still fully clothed.”

Atem buried his mouth at the junction of his neck and shoulder, delivering a lavish open mouth kiss there, where the nightshirt easily gave him access. “Only seeing advantages from my point of view.”

Yugi’s breath hitched shortly. “You’re an idiot and I hate you.”

Teeth bit down softly, but directly on the pulsing point of his neck and he held back a small cry of both pain and pleasure. “No, you don’t,” the other replied, licking and kissing the new mark.

“Just shut up and kiss me some more,” Yugi muttered back, his fingers reaching down to the hem of Atem’s sweater and inching it up his chest.

A buzzing sound and vibration came from Atem’s pants, stopping their action. The bronzed man held up a finger in a waiting signal and extracted his phone from his pocket. “Yes, Malik?”

An annoyed voice sounded from the other end of the call. “Hum, not to interrupt or anything, but are we setting things in motion or not? Did he accept your offer?”

Atem smirked while looking up at the gorgeous man on his lap. “Yes, you can start working on that.”

There was a loud sigh before Malik replied. “Damn it! Can I at least keep the cat?”

“No,” mouthed Yugi, clearly hearing the whole exchange.

The Egyptian chuckled. “I doubt he’ll let you keep it.” Then he winked at his companion. “You could learn to share though.”

Yugi was about to reply but Atem’s free hand made it to his mouth to stifle any complaints. Amethyst eyes stared at him in annoyance, but complied with the gesture. The other ended the call promptly after that and let his hand down.

The tricoloured hair man on top of him huffed, his blond bangs fluttering before setting back down on his forehead. “I hope you don’t turn this into a habit, I’d rather have your hands elsewhere on me than on my mouth.”

Atem looked smugly at the little spitfire. “Oh, really? Let’s not waste time then, shall we?””

He then grabbed the other by his waist and threw him up on his shoulder, his arm securing him there. The slightly shorter man yelped and grabbed onto the back of his sweater for balance. Another light cry came out of his mouth as a hand swapped his butt playfully. Yugi lifted his upper body pushing away from the other, trying to angle his face so he could shoot a glare at him. He then thought up of something while Atem slowly walked from the seating area where they had just been down to an unlit corridor.

“Can I get a cool name too, Pharaoh? ‘Cause I’d like to have a cool name too…” Yugi pondered aloud.

Atem hummed before answering. “I don’t know. Malik hesitated in his insults between rascal and weasel.”

They reached a door towards the end of the hallway and Atem open it, turning on the light switch, bathing the room in a soft glow from a small lamp on one of the night tables framing a large bed. Yugi blushed, a mix of happiness and apprehension filling him.

“Well, that’s doesn’t sound very appealing…” he said, managing to keep his voice leveled.

“But I might have a better idea, just need to make it official,” Atem replied, closing the door behind them and walking towards the bed, where he dropped his captive gently before slowly crawling on top of him.

Yugi looked into beautiful crimson irises and smirked. “Oh yeah, what’s that, fearless leader?”

Atem smiled back. “Welcome to Team Millenium, Horus.” And he dove back for another dose of those lips.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I like to imagine Atem wears a suit on missions similar to Arsenal from the TV show Arrow, I mean he would pull that get-up off beautifully.  
> Picture for reference: https://images.app.goo.gl/WJKpUfGEeY2d3S5K8


	28. Heaven

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So don't be alarmed when you notice this chapter is empty.  
> It is not really empty... it just became so big that I had to give it the space it deserved :)
> 
> Day 28: Heaven has been officially named The Art of Conversation, you'll find it in the link below!
> 
> Love, Aurora

So here's the little thing I've been working out right after that last prompt on vigilantes!

<https://archiveofourown.org/works/25449247>

Hope you'll enjoy it as much at the other ones!


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